2 more Malaysians nabbed for impersonating S’porean officals

2026-03-22 - 03:01

The two Malaysians face up to 10 years in prison, a maximum S$500,000 fine, or both, if convicted. (Reuters pic) PETALING JAYA: Two more Malaysians have been arrested by Singaporean authorities for impersonating government officials in the city-state. Singaporean police said one of the suspects, 30, was arrested while trying to exit the republic, while the other, 20, was nabbed near Woodlands, The Straits Times reported. The first man will be charged in court today with assisting others in retaining benefits from criminal conduct, while the second will face the same charge tomorrow. The duo are believed to have been hired by unknown persons allegedly linked to a transnational scam ring to collect valuables such as cash and jewellery from scam victims. They face up to 10 years in prison, a maximum S$500,000 fine, or both, if convicted. This month alone, a total of eight Malaysians have been arrested in Singapore over such cases, the report said. Singaporean police said there has been an uptick in Malaysians travelling to the country to help these scam syndicates with these tasks. On March 20, a 62-year-old woman filed a police report after receiving calls from people posing as officers from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and telecommunications company M1. She was told she owed S$350 which could not be deducted from her bank account for the purchase of Apple products which were delivered to a Bukit Batok address. While trying to cancel the transaction, she was referred to a purported MAS investigating officer who accused her of being involved in a money laundering case. The woman was ordered to declare her assets, including 8.6kg in gold, before being told to bring the gold to the MAS headquarters to be inspected by an officer who would “identify himself with a codeword”. The victim complied and handed over a bag filled with the gold to a man who gave the codeword. She then asked a security guard at the MAS office about the man, when she was told he was not a MAS officer, prompting her to contact the police.