{"id":50399,"date":"2026-05-07T03:15:35","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T19:15:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=50399"},"modified":"2026-05-07T03:15:35","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T19:15:35","slug":"man-jailed-over-role-in-crime-group-controlling-100-bank-accounts-over-4m-flowed-through-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=50399","title":{"rendered":"Man jailed over role in crime group controlling 100 bank accounts; over $4m flowed through them"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">SINGAPORE \u2013 <!-- -->A man<!-- --> <!-- -->who worked for a transnational criminal syndicate enabled the group to control 100 newly opened bank accounts across seven Singapore banks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">More than $4.3 million flowed through these accounts, of which $22,230 was traced to reported scam cases in Singapore.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Besmond Huan Yu Kang, 24, received <!-- -->RM18,300<!-- --> <!-- -->(S$5,900) in total for his role in the syndicate. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">On May 6, he was sentenced to <!-- -->seven years and four months\u2019 jail<!-- --> and a fine of $5,400.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The Malaysian will have to spend an additional month behind bars if he fails to pay the fine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He had pleaded guilty to eight charges, including cheating and misusing a computer system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Twenty-five other charges were considered during his sentencing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/courts-crime\/money-laundering-syndicate-based-in-jb-busted-by-s-pore-and-m-sia-police?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">Singapore and Malaysian police managed to bust the Johor-based syndicate<\/span><\/a>, and 12 Malaysians, including Huan and Tan Kang Yung, were arrested on Aug 9, 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">In December 2025, Tan, then 35, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/courts-crime\/jail-for-man-linked-to-crime-syndicate-that-controlled-70-bank-accounts-over-837k-involved?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><span class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">was sentenced to five years and 10 months\u2019 jail<\/span><\/a> and a fine of $2,000. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Another case involving an alleged accomplice, Malaysian Yew Chee Sian, 38, is pending.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Yew\u2019s wife, Angeline Chan Sze Sze, 38, who is also an alleged accomplice, is still at large.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Huan was in Malaysia in November 2023 when he came across an online advertisement about a \u201chigh-paying\u201d job in Singapore.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He responded to it and was introduced to a man known only as Ah Wei.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Huan accepted a job from Ah Wei to open and surrender Singapore bank accounts to the syndicate. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He was promised money for every account opened and surrendered each month. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Huan suspected that the syndicate engaged in \u201charvesting\u201d Singapore bank accounts for scams. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Deputy Public Prosecutor Chan Wayde said: \u201cWhen he asked Ah Wei and (Angeline Chan)&#8230; they informed him that the bank accounts were not used for scams but instead for other purposes which they did not disclose. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cHe chose not to probe further. He accepted the job as he wanted to earn money quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Ah Wei applied for a Singapore work permit for Huan so he could open bank accounts here.<!-- --> <!-- -->Huan had no intention of lawfully working in Singapore.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">In December 2023, an approval was issued to Huan to proceed with the work permit application.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">After a work permit card was issued, Ah Wei guided Huan in using it to open accounts with various banks in Singapore.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Huan opened five bank accounts in his own name.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">After that, he handed to Ah Wei items linked to two of the accounts, including the ATM cards and passwords.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Ah Wei then passed them to the syndicate, which in turn handed them to unknown persons for illegal purposes such as scams.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">More than $750,000 was transferred to one of the accounts from December 2023 to March 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">From February to August 2024, nearly $300,000 was transferred to the other account.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">In March 2024, Ah Wei asked Huan if he wanted to work as a \u201chandler\u201d for the syndicate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">As part of the job, he had to accompany people from Malaysia to Singapore and guide them in opening bank accounts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Court documents stated that Huan also had to collect the internet banking login IDs and passwords and send them to Chan via chat groups on the WeChat messaging platform.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He was offered RM2,500 per month, with a commission of RM175 for every person he handled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Huan accepted the job offer despite suspecting that he would be part of a transnational crime syndicate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">When he asked Chan, she told him \u201cthe bank accounts were used for illegal online gambling\u201d, said DPP Chan. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cHe then suspected that the bank accounts were also being used for money laundering but chose not to probe further.\u201d  <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">DPP Chan told the court: \u201cAs a result of (Huan\u2019s) participation in the syndicate over a period of six months, control of 100 newly opened bank accounts from seven Singapore banks fell into the hands of the syndicate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He also said that in April 2024, Huan engaged in a conspiracy with a group of people including Yew, Chan and Tan to cheat various Singapore banks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The banks were duped into believing the money mules were the sole operators of the accounts linked to them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Between May and August 2024, Huan accompanied 12 money mules from Malaysia to Singapore and guided them in opening 39 bank accounts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">More than $130,000 was later transferred into them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Huan also committed other offences including those linked to the <!-- -->remaining<!-- --> amount.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">On Aug 9, 2024, the Commercial Crime Investigation Department of the Royal Malaysia Police informed<!-- --> <!-- -->its Singapore counterparts that Huan and other individuals had been arrested in Johor for harvesting Singapore bank accounts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Huan was brought to Singapore nine days later and has been in custody since then.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He was represented by lawyer Ashvin Hariharan, who pleaded for him to be given not more than <!-- -->four years and eight months\u2019<!-- --> jail.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The lawyer from Ashvin Law Corporation said: \u201cBesmond provided the investigation officers with all the information that he had about the syndicate, and truthfully answered all the questions asked of him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Separately,<!-- --> Singapore police said in a statement on May 3 that they had observed an increasing trend of Malaysians travelling to Singapore to assist scam syndicates in collecting valuables from victims.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">From Dec 30, 2025, scammers and members or recruiters of scam syndicates face mandatory caning of between six and 24 strokes. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Mules who enable scammers by laundering scam proceeds will face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/courts-crime\/man-jailed-over-role-in-crime-group-controlling-100-bank-accounts-over-4m-flowed-through-them\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SINGAPORE \u2013 A man who worked for a transnational criminal syndicate enabled the group to control 100 newly opened bank accounts across seven Singapore banks&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50400,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=50399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50399\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/50400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=50399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=50399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=50399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}