Six Malaysian men have been jailed in Singapore after an armed gang targeted a private high-stakes poker game and stole about S$4.9 million in cryptocurrency, cash and valuables.
As per a report from The Straits Times, the six men pleaded guilty on Sept. 14 to armed gang robbery and charges related to moving the stolen proceeds from Singapore to Malaysia. The two masterminds, Wong Chi San, 35, and Goh Boon Tong, 30, each received 12 years and 11 months in prison, 24 strokes of the cane, and a S$4,000 fine. Wong and Goh also pleaded guilty to vice-related charges, including arranging for Japanese women to work as sex workers in Singapore.
The robbery took place shortly after 2 a.m. on April 18, 2024, at a good-class bungalow in Singapore’s King Albert Park. Seven masked men entered while a poker game was underway and restrained the 11 people inside. Some of the attackers carried machetes, while others used baseball bats.
The poker games had become a target because they involved stakes of up to several hundred thousand Singapore dollars, with cryptocurrency used to settle payments.
Attackers studied the property
Wong and Goh had learned about the games through an acquaintance who had previously participated in them. They later visited the property and noticed that the gate was typically left open and the wooden door remained unlocked while games were taking place.
By March or April 2024, the pair had decided to rob the house and approached Mohd Hamidon Ahmed, who operated a private security firm and provided debt collection services.
Hamidon recruited Muhammad Yusuf Kassim, Muhammad Tauffiq Ahmad Fauzi, Mohd Hashim Ismail and Kartik Palaniappan. The group prepared black clothing, gloves, and ski masks for the operation. Wong also provided a Malaysia-registered multi-purpose vehicle, while three machetes and two baseball bats were placed inside it.
On April 15, Wong and Goh checked the property and confirmed that a game was taking place. Two days later, they alerted Hamidon’s team to travel into Singapore after confirming another game was underway.
Crypto loot moved to Malaysia
After entering the bungalow, three of the men carried machetes and two carried baseball bats. Court reporting identified Goh and Yusuf among those with machetes and Tauffiq and Hashim among those with baseball bats.
Wong and Goh focused on the cryptocurrency. They checked the victims’ phones and demanded that cryptocurrency be transferred to a wallet controlled by Wong.
While the two focused on the digital assets, Hamidon and the other attackers collected cash and luxury watches, emptied a safe, and searched the bedroom.
The group then fled Singapore through separate checkpoints. Wong and Goh left via Tuas, while the others used Woodlands. After reaching Malaysia, they discarded the weapons and clothing used in the robbery.
In Kuala Lumpur, Wong and Goh sold an unspecified amount of USDT for about RM1.49 million in cash. The money was then used to pay members of the robbery team.
Hamidon received RM445,000, while Tauffiq, Hashim, and Kartik each received RM100,000. Another RM100,000 was distributed to people who had helped the group, while Yusuf retained RM645,000. Wong and Goh kept the stolen cash and valuables for themselves.
Singapore authorities have recovered about S$1.69 million worth of cryptocurrency so far. About S$3.21 million in remaining cryptocurrency, cash, and valuables has not been recovered.
Six sentenced, one still at large
After the robbers fled, several victims managed to free themselves and alerted police. Four people suffered minor wrist injuries from being restrained but did not require further medical treatment, according to court proceedings reported by The Straits Times.
Hamidon was sentenced to 10.5 years in prison and 24 strokes of the cane. Tauffiq and Kartik each received seven years and eight months in prison and 24 strokes of the cane.
Hashim, who is 51, received eight years and eight months in prison instead of caning because of his age. The seventh participant, Yusuf, 33, remains at large and is believed to have travelled to Thailand.
The six men were arrested in Malaysia between April and November 2024 before being extradited to Singapore.
For the crypto portion of the case, the main unresolved issue remains recovery of the outstanding digital assets and other proceeds. Authorities have recovered about S$1.69 million in cryptocurrency. The rest of the stolen assets is still unaccounted for.
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