Man linked to scams involving S$3.7 million charged in Singapore after being arrested in Malaysia
Muhammad Tarmidzi Tahir has been linked to investment scams, job scams, fake friend impersonation scams and Government official impersonation scams involving more than 50 victims.
File photo of the State Courts in Singapore. (Photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
SINGAPORE: A man believed to be responsible for laundering criminal proceeds linked to scams involving S$3.7 million across more than 50 victims was charged in court on Friday (Nov 18).
Muhammad Tarmidzi Tahir, 33, was handed over to the Singapore Police Force on Thursday after being arrested by the Royal Malaysia Police earlier this month.
Tarmidzi, a Singaporean, was given five charges for offences like opening bank accounts for criminal use, giving away his Internet banking login details and handing over control of the bank accounts to criminals.
He is accused of opening bank accounts with Commerce International Merchant Bankers Berhad (CIMB) and Standard Chartered and giving control of the accounts to criminals.
According to a police statement, Tarmidzi is linked to a transnational scam syndicate, which was "crippled" after a joint operation conducted by police officers from Malaysia and Singapore.
Since July this year, the two forces had shared critical intelligence and information with each other, based on findings from reported scam cases.
Investigations identified a criminal syndicate's money-laundering cell operating in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Police raided an apartment complex in Johor on Nov 7 and arrested Tarmidzi for his suspected involvement in managing cross-border money transfers and laundering the criminal proceeds.
The proceeds are linked to investment scams, job scams, fake friend impersonation scams, Government official impersonation scams and loan scams reported in Singapore.
There are more than 50 victims in these scams, with losses of more than S$3.7 million, the police said in their statement.
At the same time, officers from the Anti-Scam Command in Singapore arrested four people aged between 17 and 36 for their suspected involvement in aiding the money-laundering syndicate by handing over their personal bank accounts or relinquishing their SingPass accounts. Investigations against the three men and one woman are ongoing.
Tarmidzi was remanded for investigations and will return to court next week.
