SINGAPORE – A man who worked for a transnational criminal syndicate enabled the group to control 100 newly opened bank accounts across seven Singapore banks.
More than $4.3 million flowed through these accounts, of which $22,230 was traced to reported scam cases in Singapore.
Besmond Huan Yu Kang, 24, received RM18,300 (S$5,900) in total for his role in the syndicate.
On May 6, he was sentenced to seven years and four months’ jail and a fine of $5,400.
The Malaysian will have to spend an additional month behind bars if he fails to pay the fine.
He had pleaded guilty to eight charges, including cheating and misusing a computer system.
Twenty-five other charges were considered during his sentencing.
Singapore and Malaysian police managed to bust the Johor-based syndicate, and 12 Malaysians, including Huan and Tan Kang Yung, were arrested on Aug 9, 2024.
In December 2025, Tan, then 35, was sentenced to five years and 10 months’ jail and a fine of $2,000.
Another case involving an alleged accomplice, Malaysian Yew Chee Sian, 38, is pending.
Yew’s wife, Angeline Chan Sze Sze, 38, who is also an alleged accomplice, is still at large.
Huan was in Malaysia in November 2023 when he came across an online advertisement about a “high-paying” job in Singapore.
He responded to it and was introduced to a man known only as Ah Wei.
Huan accepted a job from Ah Wei to open and surrender Singapore bank accounts to the syndicate.
He was promised money for every account opened and surrendered each month.
Huan suspected that the syndicate engaged in “harvesting” Singapore bank accounts for scams.
