6 Malaysian Men Jailed for $4.9M Singapore Poker Robbery

A Singapore court sentenced six Malaysian men on Sept. 14 for a 2024 armed robbery at a high-stakes poker game. The men stole about S$4.9 million (approx. US$3.9 million) in cash, cryptocurrency, and luxury watches. That figure is higher than the S$4.34 million the Singapore Police Force first estimated in May 2024. Seven masked men, some armed with machetes and baseball bats, stormed a King Albert Park bungalow in Bukit Timah. They tied up 11 people inside, including poker players. Two ringleaders received the longest sentences, each exceeding 12 years. A seventh suspect remains at large in Thailand.

How the Robbery Was Planned and Carried Out

Prosecutors said the plot began in November 2023. Wong Chi San and Goh Boon Tong learned of regular poker games at the house. Stakes reportedly reached hundreds of thousands of dollars, often settled in cryptocurrency. The pair scouted the property and noticed its gate was often left unlocked during games.

Wong proposed the robbery in early 2024 amid financial trouble, prosecutors said. Goh recruited Mohd Hamidon Ahmed, who ran a private security firm, to supply additional men. Seven robbers entered the bungalow shortly after 2 a.m. on Apr. 18, 2024. They restrained victims with tape and cable ties, then searched phones for cryptocurrency apps. The group fled Singapore through separate checkpoints before regrouping in Kuala Lumpur.

Judge Hands Down Sentences and Caning

Justice Aidan Xu called the robbery "audacious and well-planned" during sentencing. He said Singapore is "by and large a safe country." Justice Xu also warned that those who disturb its peace face severe punishment.

Wong and Goh were identified as the masterminds. Each received 12 years and 11 months in prison, 24 strokes of the cane, and a S$4,000 fine. Hamidon was sentenced to 10 years and six months, plus caning, for organizing the recruits. Kartik Palaniappan and Muhammad Tauffiq Ahmad Fauzi each received seven years and eight months with caning. Mohd Hashim Ismail, 51, was sentenced to eight years and eight months but avoided caning under Singapore's age exemption. All six pleaded guilty to armed gang robbery and money laundering charges.

Police Recover Loot, Seventh Suspect at Large

Police recovered about S$1.69 million of the stolen property, leaving S$3.21 million unaccounted for. Cryptocurrency accounted for the bulk of the losses, with about S$3.6 million taken from the game's hostess. The Singapore Police Force first announced charges against two suspects in May 2024. It described the case at the time as a gang armed robbery investigation. A seventh suspect, Muhammad Yusuf Kassim, 33, remains at large and is believed to have fled to Thailand. Authorities have not said whether they are pursuing his extradition.

The case ranks among Singapore's largest crypto-linked robbery prosecutions to reach sentencing.