6 accused of providing illegal money transfer services
Six foreign nationals appeared in a district court on Sept 5 after they allegedly provided unlawful cross-border money transfer services involving more than $1.6 million in total in separate cases.
The six are Indonesian Jajang Maulana Hidayatulloh, 28; Chinese national Zhu Erling, 36; Myanmar national Lal Rem Ruati, 40; Sri Lankan Mohamed Mifras Zahir, 47; and Bangladeshis Hasan Nahid, 34, and Mukul, 39, who goes by one name.
All six were charged with offences under the Payment Services Act.
Such unlawful payment services are not subjected to stringent anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing measures, said the police.
Lal Rem Ruati’s charge involved the largest amount – about $1.25 million. She is accused of committing the offence in a unit at Peninsula Plaza shopping centre in North Bridge Road from January to November 2021.
In a statement on Sept 4, police said she allegedly provided the service to maids from her country.
Jajang allegedly offered unlicensed cross-border money transfer services to maids here.
His case is said to involve nearly $191,500, and he is accused of committing the offence from May to October 2022.
Zhu, a Singapore permanent resident, allegedly provided such a service from May to December 2020. Her case is said to involve $100,800.
The police said she is believed to have provided the service through an undisclosed Chinese social media site. Her family in China would then assist to transfer the money to beneficiaries.
Hasan is accused of committing a similar offence involving nearly $66,000 at the Sungei Tengah Lodge migrant workers’ dormitory between October 2020 and October 2022.
Police said he would collect cash from migrant workers and remit the money to his family in Bangladesh to facilitate the transfer of Bangladeshi taka equivalent to the beneficiaries.
Mifras is accused of providing a similar service on or before May 12, 2024. His case is said to involve more than $34,000.
Police said he allegedly collected the monies from maids before remitting the equivalent amounts in Sri Lankan rupees to their beneficiaries in his home country.
He was caught following a raid in Dalhousie Lane, near Sungei Road, in May 2024.
Mukul allegedly provided such a service between August 2021 and September 2023, but court documents did not disclose the total amount involved in his case.
Jajang, Lal Rem Ruati and Hasan are expected to plead guilty on Sept 19, while Mifras’ case will be mentioned again in court on Sept 26.
The cases involving Zhu and Mukul have been adjourned to Oct 3.
First-time offenders convicted of providing unlawful cross-border money transfer services can be jailed for up to three years and fined up to $125,000.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now