What happens if I deal with proceeds of crimes committed abroad?

The Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 (“CDSA”) defines “criminal conduct” as doing or being concerned in, whether in Singapore or elsewhere, any act constituting a serious offence or a “foreign serious offence” (i.e., an offence under foreign law that would have been a serious offence had the conduct occurred in Singapore). Dealing in Singapore with the proceeds of a crime committed abroad can therefore be money laundering here. In a 2023 bail decision (Public Prosecutor v Su Jianfeng [2023] SGDC 277), money laundering charges were founded on the proceeds of a remote gambling business allegedly run from the Philippines, and the court held that a foreign legal opinion that such operations were lawful there did not, without evidence about the accused’s own operation, displace the grounds for the charges.

Singaporeans abroad are also subject to the laws of the country they are in. Most recently, in September 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Singapore Police Force announced that, according to the Chinese authorities, 52 Singapore citizens had been arrested and detained in Guangxi, China, following an operation against suspected pyramid scheme activities and related offences. Investigations were ongoing at the time of writing, and no finding has been made against any of them. The matter is one for the Chinese authorities under Chinese law, and what bearing, if any, it may have in Singapore remains to be seen.

What about scams run from overseas against victims in Singapore?

A person does not escape prosecution in Singapore merely because he or she was abroad when a scam on Singapore victims was carried out:

  • Offences partly committed in Singapore. Under section 4B of the Penal Code 1871, offences of dishonesty or fraud, including cheating, criminal breach of trust and forgery, are deemed to have been committed in Singapore if part of the offence took place here, or if the intended gain, loss or harm occurred here.
  • Abetment from abroad. Under section 108B of the Penal Code, a person who abets (i.e., instigates, conspires and/or intentionally aids) an offence committed in Singapore is guilty of abetment even if all of his or her acts were done outside Singapore.
  • Membership of a scam syndicate. Under section 5 of the Organised Crime Act 2015, it is an offence to be, or act as, a member of a “locally-linked organised criminal group”, that is, a group of three or more people (whether or not based in Singapore) one of whose purposes is to profit from serious offences under Singapore law listed in the Act. The group may be based outside Singapore, and Singaporeans who allegedly worked as callers at an overseas scam centre have been charged under this provision (see below). The maximum punishment is a fine of up to $100,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both. For offences committed on or after 30 December 2025, a person who is a member of such a group knowing that it is a scam group is also liable to mandatory caning of at least six and up to 24 strokes.
  • Recruiting from abroad. A person outside Singapore who recruits others to join or help manage a locally-linked organised criminal group also commits an offence under section 6(2) of the Organised Crime Act.

Is recruiting in Singapore for overseas syndicates an offence?

A person in Singapore who recruits others to join or help manage an organised criminal group commits an offence under section 6(1) of the Organised Crime Act even if the group’s crimes are committed abroad. Under section 108A of the Penal Code, a person who in Singapore abets an act abroad that would be an offence if committed in Singapore is also guilty of abetment.

What recent enforcement has there been?

In September 2025, the Singapore Police Force and the Cambodian police carried out a joint operation against a scam syndicate that was allegedly run from Phnom Penh by Singaporeans and that impersonated government officials to deceive victims in Singapore, which has been linked to losses reported at more than S$41 million. Singaporeans who allegedly worked as callers for the syndicate were repatriated and charged under the Organised Crime Act, and Interpol Red Notices (i.e., international requests to locate and provisionally arrest a wanted person) were sought for others. In November 2025, two Singaporeans deported from Thailand and Cambodia were charged with offences including handing over their Singapore bank accounts while allegedly working for scam centres in Myanmar and Cambodia. These cases were pending at the time of writing, and the allegations have not been proved.

Where neither the conduct nor its effects, nor the proceeds, touch Singapore, prosecution here will depend on whether a specific provision extends Singapore law to that conduct. The person may instead be prosecuted in the country where the offence was committed, and Singapore may receive requests for extradition (i.e., handing the person over to the other country to face charges) or mutual legal assistance (i.e., help with the foreign investigation or prosecution, such as obtaining evidence). Bringing the proceeds into Singapore, however, may itself be money laundering here.