Tradenation luxury goods scam: Second man charged with helping fugitive flee Singapore

SINGAPORE: A second man was charged on Saturday (Jul 30) with helping a suspect allegedly involved in the Tradenation luxury goods scam to flee Singapore.

Malaysian Mohamad Fazli Abdul Rahman, 38, faces one charge of conspiring with lorry driver Mohamed Alias to arrange for Singaporean Pi Jiapeng to hide in the container compartment of a Malaysian registered lorry.

Pi was arrested last month for alleged cheating offences. Together with his wife, Thai national Siriwipa Pansuk, they fled the country on Jul 4, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said previously.

Alias, 40, was charged earlier this month with helping Pi and Pansuk to leave Singapore illegally. The lorry driver allegedly drove the vehicle hiding the couple on Jul 4, at about 7.25pm at Tuas Checkpoint's departure cargo section.

The Singapore Police Force said on Friday that Fazli was arrested in Malaysia "with strong cooperation and assistance from the Royal Malaysia Police". 

If convicted, he could be jailed for between six months and two years, and fined up to S$6,000. 

LUXURY GOODS SCAM

Arrest warrants and Interpol red notices have been issued against Pi and Pansuk, after at least 180 police reports involving two companies, Tradenation and Tradeluxury, were made since June.

The complainants said they made advance payments for luxury watches or bags, but they did not receive the products.

While some media reports said the total value of the undelivered luxury watches and bags was S$32 million, CNA understands that victims who made police reports have not received goods worth at least S$20 million as of Jul 17.

Pi, 26, was arrested on Jun 27 for his suspected involvement in cheating offences. His passport was impounded and he was released on bail on Jun 29.

Pansuk, 27, was also assisting the police with investigations and surrendered her passport to officers on Jun 30. Both subsequently became uncontactable.

According to Interpol, Pi was born in Fujian, China, while Pansuk is from Roi Et, a province in central north-eastern Thailand.