ICA: Ninth convict in S$3B money laundering case deported to the UK

SINGAPORE: Wang Dehai, aged 35, the final of 10 foreigners to plead guilty in the S$3 billion money laundering case, was deported to the UK on 6 July after serving approximately 11 months of his 16-month jail term.

This was disclosed by The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to Singapore’s mainstream media, The Straits Times (ST). Wang is also barred from re-entering Singapore.

Originally from China and holding Cypriot citizenship, Wang was sentenced to 16 months in jail in June after admitting to one charge of money laundering. He agreed to forfeit over S$49 million in assets to the state.

Nine out of 10 individuals deported in Singapore’s largest money laundering case

With Wang’s deportation, nine out of the ten individuals convicted in Singapore’s largest money laundering case have now been expelled from the country.

Su Wenqiang and Wang Baosen were the first to leave Singapore on 6 May, deported to Cambodia after serving about 8½ months of their 13-month jail terms.

Su Baolin and Su Haijin followed, deported to Cambodia on 25 and 28 May respectively, after receiving 14-month jail terms in April.

Vang Shuiming was deported to Japan on June 1 after a 13-month and six-week jail term. Each of these individuals served approximately 9½ months of their sentences.

Chen Qingyuan, Zhang Ruijin, and Lin Baoying were deported to Cambodia on June 15 after serving 10 months of their 15-month jail terms.

Su Jianfeng, sentenced to 17 months in June, remains the sole individual convicted in this case still residing in Singapore.

In August 2023, police conducted islandwide raids as part of a money laundering probe, resulting in the arrest of 10 foreigners and seizure of over $3 billion in assets.

Seventeen other individuals who fled the country during the investigation remain at large.

According to an ICA spokesman in June, the convicted individuals were deported immediately upon completing their jail terms, boarding the earliest available flights.

The spokesman noted that they were escorted directly from prison to the airport without being permitted to return home to gather their belongings.

ICA emphasized that its immigration clearance technology at Singapore’s checkpoints can identify deported individuals attempting to re-enter using alternate identities or passports.

During the parliamentary session on 2 July, Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling informed Parliament that individuals with multiple passports can indicate their preferred deportation country, but Singapore will deport them to nations most likely to accept them.

Ms Sun clarified in response to a parliamentary question filed by Ms Sylvia Lim, Workers’ Party MP for Aljunied GRC, that it is not simply a matter of offenders stating “I choose and therefore I will be sent there.”

She explained that the choice is subject to an assessment by the Ministry. This assessment considers whether the individual can be admitted into the chosen country based on their travel document.

Ms Lim also raised concerns about the deportation of individuals to Cambodia who did not hold Cambodian passports. Ms Sun later confirmed that these individuals did not hold Cambodian passports but possessed valid travel documents or passports that met Cambodia’s admission requirements.

She affirmed that Singapore authorities’ main priority is to ensure the effective and swift deportation of foreigners once they have completed their sentences.

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