The Singapore Police Force says it has arrested a 45-year-old Malaysian man belonging to a syndicate found to have used a prohibited device to records cards dealt while playing baccarat at Marina Bay Sands.
The man’s arrest is linked to an earlier investigation by the Casino Crime Investigation Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department which commenced on 24 December 2022. The investigation has already seen a 27-year-old Taiwanese man and a 35-year-old Malaysian man charged in court for their involvement as part of the syndicate, with police having seized casino chips worth more than SG$700,000 (US$521,000), a mobile phone and cash.
According to a statement, the 45-year-old suspect was arrested in Malaysia on 8 June with the assistance of the Royal Malaysia Police and handed over to Singapore authorities on the same day.
He was charged in court on 9 June 2023 for the offence of engaging in a conspiracy to use things prohibited under Section 171(1) and punishable under Section 171(5) Casino Control Act 2006 read with Section 109 Penal Code 1871. If convicted, he is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years or a fine not exceeding SG$150,000, or to both.
The Singapore Police Force said it will “continue to take tough enforcement action against those involved in casino crime, regardless of their roles, and ensure that they face full brunt of the law.”
