M'sia man, 55, collected S$120,000 in cash & valuables from scam victims, arrested on 10th trip to S'pore

A 55-year-old Malaysian man who allegedly worked as a money mule for a fraud syndicate entered Singapore nine times in April 2025 to collect around S$120,000 in cash and valuables from four victims.

Lim Gin Leeh, who was arrested on his 10th trip to Singapore, faced five charges, which include forgery and money laundering, Shin Min Daily News reported.

He pleaded guilty to three charges, with the remaining two to be taken into consideration during sentencing.

Told of job opportunity

Charge sheets and court documents seen by Mothership stated that in April 2025, Lim, who resides in Malaysia, became acquainted with a person known only as "CK", who was introduced to him by a mutual friend.

"CK" then told Lim of a job opportunity in Singapore, adding that it entailed helping a group of persons, referred to as "the organisation", collect money and gold from persons in Singapore.

He was to bring the property back to Malaysia or to deliver it to other persons, and was told that he would be given further instructions and details once he entered Singapore.

After Lim agreed to take on the job, he entered Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint on Apr. 16, 2025, to find "CK", who told him to take a taxi to a handphone shop.

He then registered for a SIM card issued with a Singapore telephone number using his name and passport information, which "CK" told him to do as part of the supposed job requirements.

Lim then passed the SIM card to an unknown person belonging to the organisation.

The money and valuables he collected from the scam victims ranged from a series of falsified scenarios, including having one victim hand over money in order to be eligible to receive his alleged game winnings. Another victim was under the impression he was being investigated for money laundering-related offences.

1st collection

In the few days after entering Singapore, Lim followed "CK" around and was tasked to collect money from unknown persons, where "CK" told Lim that he would supposedly be paid 1 per cent of all money that he helped to collect as commission.

On Apr. 19, 2025, Lim met up with the first victim, a 55-year-old Singaporean man, and collected S$19,400 in cash, after which Lim, on the instructions of "CK", met another person near an MRT station to pass him the cash.

2nd collection

Lim later met the first victim again on Apr. 22, 2025, and collected S$20,000 in cash, after which he similarly passed the cash to another unknown person on the instructions of the organisation.

After Apr. 22, 2025, "CK" disappeared and became uncontactable, and Lim started to take instructions directly from the persons in charge of the organisation through an instant messaging application.

3rd collection

On Apr. 25, 2025, Lim collected S$30,000 from the second victim, a 68-year-old man and delivered it to an unknown person.

When collecting money from the second victim, Lim used a receipt with a Shopee logo, with the intention of making the victim believe this was an official receipt issued by Shopee.

4th collection

On the same day at about 9:30pm, the third victim, an 81-year-old man, handed jewellery to Lim at the ground floor of his residence.

This included one 100g 999.9 gold bar worth S$16,500, one Singapore commemorative 150-dollar gold coin worth S$3758.39, seven gold bangles of unknown value, and two gold coins of unknown value.

The third victim also transferred S$23,000 to a bank account following a call that was eventually re-directed to someone who claimed to be from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, leading the victim to believe that he was being investigated for money laundering-related offences.

Upon realising he was the victim of a scam, the 81-year-old man lodged a police report on Apr. 26, 2025.

5th collection

In addition, on Apr. 26, 2025, Lim collected S$30,000 from the fourth victim at an unknown location in Singapore.

Investigations revealed that in 2025, Lim entered Singapore on the following dates to conduct the operations assigned to him by the organisation: Apr. 16, Apr. 17, Apr. 18, Apr. 19, Apr. 22, Apr. 23, Apr. 24, Apr. 25, Apr. 26.

Lim then left Singapore for Malaysia on Apr. 26, 2025, after the fifth collection.

Arrested, penalties

He tried to enter Singapore again after 9pm on Apr. 27, 2025 and was arrested at the checkpoint.

Shin Min reported that sentencing for this case will take place on May 12.