Singapore Jails Six Over a Brazen S$4.9M Crypto Poker Heist

Six Malaysian men received prison sentences of up to 12 years and 11 months on 14 September after pleading guilty to an armed robbery that netted S$4.9 million in cryptocurrency, cash and luxury watches from a high-stakes poker game at a King Albert Park bungalow in Singapore. The Singapore High Court heard that S$3.21 million of the haul remains unrecovered, with a seventh suspect still at large in Thailand.

Machetes, Baseball Bats and a S$3.6M Crypto Transfer

The robbery took place in the early hours of 18 April 2024, when seven masked men stormed the property armed with three machetes and two baseball bats. They restrained 11 people inside the residence, taping their mouths shut and searching their phones for cryptocurrency wallet applications. The victims included seven poker players: five Singaporeans, one Indonesian national and one Chinese national. A South Korean national was also working as the card dealer, while a Chinese national living at the house assisted with the game.The host was forced to transfer cryptocurrency worth about S$3.6 million in total to a wallet controlled by ringleader Wong Chi San, 35, according to Malay Mail.The gang also seized S$210,000 in Singapore dollars, roughly US$40,000 in American currency, S$55,500 worth of Emirati dirhams and several luxury watches, including a Patek Philippe valued at more than S$500,000.Wong and accomplice Goh Boon Tong, 30, crossed into Malaysia through the Tuas Checkpoint, while the remaining crew exited via the Woodlands Checkpoint. Wong subsequently transferred an unspecified amount of USDT to Goh in Kuala Lumpur, and the pair converted a portion into RM1.49 million in cash.

Sentences Range From Seven to Nearly 13 Years

The two masterminds, Wong Chi San, 35, and Goh Boon Tong, 30, each received 12 years and 11 months in prison, 24 strokes of the cane and a S$4,000 fine. Mohd Hamidon Ahmed, 49, who recruited men to provide additional muscle for the robbery, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison with 24 strokes of the cane.Kartik Palaniappan, 34, and Muhammad Tauffiq Ahmad Fauzi, 34, each received seven years and eight months with 24 strokes. Mohd Hashim Ismail, 51, was sentenced to eight years and eight months without caning, as Singapore law exempts men over 50 from the punishment. A seventh suspect, Muhammad Yusuf Kassim, 33, remains at large and is believed to be in Thailand.

Crypto Heists Test Singapore's Financial Crime Response

The case underscores a pattern that law enforcement agencies across Asia have flagged: high-value cryptocurrency holders are increasingly targeted for physical robbery because digital assets can be transferred irreversibly in minutes. Police have recovered cryptocurrency worth about S$1.69 million from the S$4.9 million stolen.Planning for the heist began in November 2023, when Wong and Goh learned of the regular poker games and observed that the property's gate was left open and its wooden door was unlocked during the games.