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Six Malaysian men have been sentenced in Singapore over an armed robbery that saw them make off with S$4.9 million (about RM16.2 million) in cash, valuables, and cryptocurrency from a bungalow in the upscale King Albert Park area.

The men pleaded guilty yesterday (14 September) to charges including armed gang robbery and money laundering.

It all began when two of the men learnt that a woman regularly hosted high-stakes poker games at her Bukit Timah home, and began recruiting help from Malaysia to pull off the robbery.

On the night of 17 April 2024, a group of recruits entered Singapore through Woodlands Checkpoint and met the two masterminds at a car park in Geylang, where they were shown photographs of the house and briefed on their entry route.

The group prepared black clothing, gloves, ski masks, duct tape, and cable ties ahead of the break-in.

How The Robbery Went Down

Just before 2:05am on 18 April 2024, seven men entered the property while the poker game was underway.

Three carried machetes, two carried baseball bats.

Eleven people inside, including the hosts, a card dealer, and a hired masseuse, were ordered to hand over their phones before being tied up with their mouths taped shut. Among the items taken, according to charges filed shortly after the robbery:

Cash in various currencies, over S$3.9 million (about RM12.9 million), from a 29-year-old woman

A luxury watch worth S$320,000 (about RM1.06 million), from a 31-year-old man

A Ferrari car key valued at S$400 (about RM1,320)

Cryptocurrency and other cash and valuables making up the rest of the haul

By the time the men were sentenced on 14 September, the total value of the robbery had grown to S$4.9 million, with the cryptocurrency portion alone estimated at S$3.6 million (about RM11.9 million).

Four of the victims sustained minor wrist injuries from being bound but did not require further treatment.

The Getaway, Arrest & Sentencing

The group fled Singapore in two separate cars, with the masterminds ..leaving via Tuas Checkpoint while the rest of the team left through Woodlands Checkpoint. They later regrouped in Kuala Lumpur to split up the loot.

Part of the stolen cryptocurrency was converted into cash in KL, converting an unspecified amount of USDT into RM1.49 million in cash to pay off one of the men recruited for the job.

A judge later described the entire operation as “audacious and well-planned,” noting it disrupted peace and security across two countries. Most of the group was arrested in Malaysia between April and November 2024 and brought back to Singapore to face prosecution.

The two masterminds behind the robbery, Wong Chi San, 35, and Goh Boon Tong, 30, were each sentenced to 12 years and 11 months in jail, 24 strokes of the cane, and a S$4,000 fine (about RM13,200).

Mohd Hamidon Ahmed, 49, who was brought in to provide extra manpower, was sentenced to 10 and a half years in jail and 24 strokes of the cane. The remaining men, Kartik Palaniappan, 34, Mohd Hashim Ismail, 51, and Muhammad Tauffiq Ahmad Fauzi, 34, also received jail terms and caning.

A seventh suspect remains at large and is believed to have fled to Thailand. Only S$1.69 million (RM5.6 million) has been recovered; roughly S$3.21 million (RM10.6 million) – mostly cash and valuables – remains missing.

READ MORE: No, Malaysia Is Not The Third Most Dangerous Country In ASEAN

READ MORE: ‘Crime Is Learned’ – Why Smugglers Taking Big Risk, Says Analyst

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