Police arrest 7 men, aged 28-53, in S'pore for unlawful remote betting with help from Meta & FBI

In an operation conducted by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Oct. 5 2025, seven men aged between 28 and 53 were arrested for their suspected involvement in conducting a transnational unlawful remote betting operation.

The operation is a result of a collaboration between the SPF, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Meta.

Modus operandi

Since March 2023, SPF had received several reports of victims in Singapore being enticed to open gambling accounts with an online gambling website.

They were then asked to transfer money to anonymous bank accounts in exchange of gambling credits.

Initially, the victims would successfully redeem their winnings through bank transfers from anonymous bank accounts.

However, when they continued gambling with the website and attempted to redeem more winnings, the syndicate would inform the victims that they had to either accumulate more winnings, or purchase more credits.

Several victims lost more than S$175,000.

Preliminary investigation conducted by SPF indicates that the transnational syndicate behind the website is believed to be operating overseas, targeting victims in Singapore as well as others Asian countries.

This is to evade SPF’s detection.

Using information received from FBI and Meta regarding the alleged gambling activities, SPF continued to conduct further probes, which led to the arrest of the syndicate members.

During the operation, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and Police Intelligence Department mounted simultaneous raids at multiple locations island-wide, including Flora Drive, Bukit Batok West Avenue 9, Chin Swee Road, Sims Place, Pasir Ris Street 51, Tampines Avenue 2, and Hougang Avenue 8.

Seven men were arrested.

Cash, 15 bank accounts and a luxury watch, with a total estimated value exceeding S$500,000 were seized.

Electronic devices such as computers, mobile phones and SIM cards were also seized.

Four of the men, aged between 28 and 53, will be charged in court on Oct. 6 2025 for conducting an unlawful betting operation under the Gambling Control Act 2022.

Police investigations are still ongoing against the remaining three men.

Penalties

Under the Gambling Control Act 2022, any person who is found to be involved in conducting an unlawful betting operation as an operator shall be fined not more than S$500,000 and jailed up to seven years, or both.

Any person who is found to be involved in conducting an unlawful betting operation as an agent can be fined up to S$200,000 and jailed up to seven years, or both.

Any person who gambles with an unlawful gambling service provider can be fined up to S$10,000 or jailed up to six months, or both.

Under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act 1906, a person shall be guilty of an offence if the person possesses a SIM card registered using another person’s personal information and the person intends to use the SIM card to commit any offence under any written law.

This offence is punishable by a fine up to S$10,000 or to a jail term not exceeding three years, or to both.

Under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992, any person who converts or transfers any property which is, directly or indirectly, represents, another person’s benefits from criminal conduct, shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding S$500,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or to both.

All photos via SPF