Two Singaporean men have been arrested in Thailand in a cross-border crackdown on a transnational sex trafficking syndicate that allegedly exploited foreign women and funnelled illicit earnings between countries.
The suspects, aged 36 and 38, were apprehended on Tuesday, June 17, following a joint operation between the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Thailand’s Royal Thai Police (RTP). A 50 year old Thai man was also arrested in the sting.
The trio is accused of being key players in a sophisticated vice syndicate that recruited women from overseas and sent them to work in Singapore’s sex trade. Investigations into the group began in 2023, and a trail of arrests has since followed.
Between April 2023 and May 2024, Singapore authorities detained at least 76 foreign women believed to be working under the syndicate’s control. These arrests, made under the Women’s Charter 1961, revealed vital information about the network’s operations and financial trail.
Working hand-in-hand with Thailand’s Technology Crime Suppression Division, Singapore’s Specialised Crime Branch and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) uncovered the identities of the three alleged ringleaders.
The 36 year old Singaporean reportedly played a direct role in managing the sex workers and their operations across borders. His 38 year old partner in crime is suspected of using a web of bank accounts to launder prostitution earnings from Singapore back to Thailand.
After months of surveillance and intelligence sharing, Thai police swooped in, arresting the men for offences under the Thai Criminal Code. Officers also seized more than 20 million baht in suspected criminal assets — including cash, two condominiums, laptops, mobile phones, SIM cards, bank cards, and hard drives.
Back in Singapore, police froze over 1.26 million Singapore dollars (roughly 32 million baht) linked to the 38 year old suspect’s bank accounts, reported Mothership Singapore.
Yeo Yee Chuan, Deputy Director of CID and Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police, praised the international teamwork.
“International cooperation in information sharing and operational and investigative collaboration is crucial to counter transnational syndicated crime,” he said.
“The SPF is committed to working closely with our regional partners, and we thank the RTP for their invaluable collaboration in dismantling this criminal network. Together, we aim to prevent the exploitation of women and tackle the laundering of criminal proceeds.”
Investigations are ongoing, but police say the arrests mark a major win in the fight against cross-border vice.
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