SINGAPORE — Two Singaporean men, Wayne Soh You Chen, 27, and Brian Sie Eng Fa, 32, were charged on Nov 17 for allegedly acting as scam callers in a Cambodia-based syndicate targeting victims in Singapore.
The men face one charge each under the Organised Crime Act for engaging in conduct that they knew would facilitate cheating. Court documents state they contributed to the illegal operations of a “locally linked organised criminal group.”
Police reports revealed that Soh was deported from Cambodia, while Sie was arrested during a raid in Khon Kaen, Thailand. Both men are among 34 suspects wanted by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in connection with the syndicate.
The criminal network, secretly operating out of a Phnom Penh call centre, was disrupted in September through a joint operation by the SPF and Cambodian authorities. The syndicate is believed to have executed at least 438 cases, causing losses exceeding S$41 million (US$31.6 million), mainly via government official impersonation scams.
Other members of the syndicate in custody include the alleged leader’s brother Ng Wei Kang and girlfriend Christy Neo Wei En, who remain remanded after denied bail. The alleged ringleader, Singaporean Ng Wei Liang, is still at large along with 31 other suspects.
Soh and Sie were deported to Singapore and arrested on arrival on Nov 16. Following their charges, they will be remanded for further investigations and are scheduled to return to court on Nov 24.
If convicted, the men face up to five years in prison, fines of up to S$100,000, or both.
