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SINGAPORE: Two Singaporean men were charged on Monday (Nov 17) with being scam callers in a Cambodia-based syndicate targeting and cheating victims in Singapore.<\/p>\n
Wayne Soh You Chen, 27, and Brian Sie Eng Fa, 32, were accused of being scam callers in a call centre in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, around Sep 9 this year.<\/p>\n
The two men were each given one charge under the Organised Crime Act for engaging in conduct which they knew would facilitate the commission of cheating.<\/p>\n
They are accused of furthering the illegal purpose of a “locally linked organised criminal group”.<\/p>\n
According to an earlier police statement, Soh was deported from Cambodia while Sie was arrested during a raid in Khon Kaen, Thailand.<\/p>\n
Both men are among 34 suspects wanted by the Singapore Police Force for being part of an organised criminal group.<\/p>\n
SPF and their Cambodian counterparts had disrupted the criminal syndicate perpetrating government official impersonation scams in Singapore in September.<\/p>\n
The syndicate, which was secretly operating out of a scam centre in Phnom Penh, is believed to be responsible for at least 438 reported cases, involving losses of more than S$41 million (US$31.6 million)<\/span>, the police said.<\/p>\n In custody in Singapore are the alleged syndicate leader’s brother and girlfriend, Ng Wei Kang and Christy Neo Wei En, who remain remanded after unsuccessful bids for bail.<\/p>\n The alleged syndicate leader, Singaporean Ng Wei Liang, is at large along with 31 others.<\/p>\n Soh and Sie were deported to Singapore and arrested on arrival on Nov 16.<\/p>\n After being charged on Monday, they will be remanded for investigations and will return to court on Nov 24.<\/p>\n If convicted of engaging in conduct they know will facilitate the commission of any serious offence in furtherance of the illegal purpose of a syndicate, the men can be jailed for up to five years, fined up to S$100,000, or both.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n