Six Malaysian men have been sentenced to prison in Singapore for their roles in a pre-planned armed robbery at a house in King Albert Park on April 18, 2024. The gang stole approximately $3.68 million (S$4.9 million), including about $2.7 million (S$3.6 million) in cryptocurrency, cash and luxury watches. The men, who pleaded guilty to armed gang robbery and other charges, had spent months surveilling the bungalow and a high-stakes poker game. They subdued occupants, accessed cryptocurrency wallets via victims’ phones and transferred funds. Sentences ranged from seven to nearly 13 years, with caning for most. A seventh suspect remains at large. Authorities recovered roughly $1.27 million of the stolen assets.
The Singapore crypto robbery concluded with six Malaysian men receiving jail terms for their involvement in a planned armed robbery at a King Albert Park bungalow. The incident, which occurred on April 18, 2024, targeted a high-stakes poker match.
The gang stole approximately $3.68 million in total, including cash, expensive watches and about $2.7 million in cryptocurrency. As reported, all six men admitted to committing armed gang robbery among other charges, while a seventh suspect, 33-year-old Muhammad Yusuf Kassim, remains at large.
The robbery was planned months in advance. Both Wong Chi Shan and Goh Boon Tong learned about the game in late 2023 and later inspected the property’s security, noting the gate and front door could be left open.
Mohd Hamidon Ahmed was introduced by Wong and Goh, helping recruit more men. They prepared masks, gloves, duct tape, cable ties, machetes and baseball bats before executing their plan.
On the night of the robbery, seven individuals entered the bungalow during the poker game. They subdued the occupants, searched for valuables and checked victims’ mobile phones for cryptocurrency apps.
Once they accessed the cryptocurrencies, they transferred them to their wallet. The stolen physical wealth included a Patek Philippe watch worth over $375,000, two Rolex watches worth more than $41,250 and a Richard Mille watch valued at about $240,000.
The crypto theft in Singapore was substantial, with stolen property comprising various asset types. According to estimates, around $2.7 million of the amount was cryptocurrency, the remainder being cash and luxury watches.
The criminals faced a different problem, as it was not possible to transfer coins between wallets within a short period. Nevertheless, cryptocurrency transactions create a history on the blockchain, making it possible to track fund movements.
The Singapore government managed to return about $1.27 million of the stolen money, while $2.41 million remained unrecovered. After the robbery, the criminals fled to Malaysia via Tuas and Woodlands checkpoints.
The suspects met again in Kuala Lumpur and shared the stolen amount. The international move and stolen properties complicated the investigation, which had to follow both tangible assets and crypto transfers.
The courts awarded different punishments to the six convicted men. Wong Chi Shan and Goh Boon Tong, referred to as ringleaders, were sentenced to 12 years and 11 months’ imprisonment, 24 strokes of the cane and a $3,000 fine.
Mohd Hamidon Ahmed received 10 years and six months’ imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane. Kartik Palaniappan and Muhammad Tauffiq Ahmad Fauzi were each sentenced to 7 years and 8 months’ imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane.
Mohd Hashim Ismail, aged 51, was sentenced to 8 years and 8 months in prison but was not caned owing to his age. Muhammad Yusuf Kassim, the suspect still at large, has not been sentenced.
