2 SG men deported from Cambodia; Thailand charged for targeting S’poreans with scams

SINGAPORE: On Monday (Nov 17), two Singaporean men were charged in court for having been scam callers in a centre in Cambodia that targeted victims in Singapore. They were identified by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) as 32-year-old Sie Eng Fa Brian and 27-year-old Wayne Soh You Chen.

The two men were part of a scam syndicate that operated from a compound in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. They are said to have conducted at least 438 impersonation scams that saw victims lose at least S$41 million. However, this was disrupted on Sep 9, when police from Cambodia and Singapore carried out a joint operation, which led to the arrest of 15 suspects in Singapore: 12 Singaporeans, two Malaysians, and one Filipina.

In the weeks that followed, Sie was arrested in Thailand during a raid by the Royal Thai Police (RTP), while Soh was arrested in Cambodia by the Cambodian National Police (CNP). They were deported to Singapore on Nov 16.

CNA quoted SPF as saying that Soh and Sie are among the 34 suspects wanted by the Police for their alleged involvement in an organised criminal group, and that the arrests had come after close collaboration and intelligence sharing between authorities in Singapore, Thailand, and Cambodia.

However, the suspected leader of the syndicate, 32-year-old Singaporean Ng Wei Liang, is still at large, along with 31 others who were involved in the group’s operations. Among those who are still at large are 25 Singaporeans, including Ng, and seven Malaysians.

Sie and Soh will be charged with facilitating the commission of a serious offence in furtherance of the illegal purpose of a locally linked organised crime group under the Organised Crime Act.

They could be jailed for up to five years, be made to pay a fine of up to S$100,000, or both, if they are found guilty.

On Nov 13, David Chew, the director of SPF’s Commercial Affairs Department, said that the “cases highlight the evolving tactics of transnational scam syndicates who are engaging Singaporeans with unique local knowledge to target victims from scam centres located in diverse jurisdictions. It also illustrates the strong partnerships with our regional counterparts, including the Central Investigation Bureau of the Royal Thai Police and the Cambodia National Police, to identify, pursue, and arrest criminals involved in scam operations.

We are grateful for the excellent cooperation from our international law enforcement partners in our shared fight against scams.” /TISG

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