SINGAPORE — What began as a late-night armed robbery at a Good Class Bungalow in Singapore’s King Albert Park quickly turned into a cross-border investigation after a group of men allegedly escaped to Malaysia with more than S$4.34 million in cryptocurrency, cash and luxury valuables.
The robbery happened at about 2 a.m. on April 18, 2024, when Singapore police were alerted that a group of more than four men had stormed a residence along King Albert Park in Bukit Timah.
According to Singapore police and court documents, the group allegedly robbed 11 people, aged between 25 and 45, while armed with parangs and baseball bats. Six of the victims were specifically listed in the charges as having valuables stolen, while five others were allegedly restrained and placed in fear of being hurt.
MILLIONS IN CRYPTO, CASH AND LUXURY WATCHES
The alleged haul was extraordinary.
Court documents cited by CNA put the total value of the stolen property at approximately S$4,341,328.
The largest loss involved a 29-year-old woman, who allegedly lost about S$3.9 million consisting of cryptocurrency and multiple currencies.
The stolen assets included approximately US$2.64 million worth of Tether (USDT), S$210,000 in cash, 150,000 UAE dirhams and US$40,000.
Another victim, a 31-year-old man, allegedly lost a Richard Mille 35-02 watch valued at S$320,000, along with a Ferrari car key.
Other reported losses included two Rolex watches valued at about S$55,000 each, as well as additional cash and smartwatches.
The combination of cryptocurrency, large amounts of cash and high-value watches made the case particularly striking.
THE SUSPECTS FLED TO MALAYSIA
The investigation soon crossed Singapore’s borders.
The Singapore Police Force said officers from its Criminal Investigation Department and Clementi Police Division established the identities of the alleged offenders through extensive ground enquiries.
Investigators then determined that the group had fled to Malaysia shortly after the robbery.
Singapore police worked with the Royal Malaysia Police, leading to the arrests of two Malaysian nationals, Goh Boon Tong and Muhammad Tauffiq Ahmad Fauzi, in Malaysia on April 27 and 28, 2024.
Both were handed over to Singapore police on April 30.
The case subsequently widened.
Three more Malaysian nationals—Kartik Palaniappan, Mohd Hamidon Ahmed and Mohd Hashim Ismail—were charged in May 2024 over the alleged robbery.
Then, in November 2024, Wong Chi Shan, 33, became the sixth man charged in connection with the case. The Straits Times reported that all six Malaysian nationals were accused of robbing the victims while armed with parangs and baseball bats.
A SEVENTH PERSON?
The investigation has also contained another intriguing detail.
The Straits Times reported that another person was said to have been involved in the heist, although the six men were the ones charged in connection with the robbery at that stage.
That detail adds another layer to a case that authorities have been investigating as a coordinated, cross-border crime.
POLICE COOPERATION BECAME KEY
The rapid movement of suspects from Singapore into Malaysia meant cooperation between the two countries became crucial.
Singapore police said the suspects were located through investigative work before Malaysian authorities arrested two of them under warrants issued by Singapore’s State Courts.
The Royal Malaysia Police then handed the pair over to Singapore authorities.
The case demonstrates how an investigation can quickly become an international law-enforcement operation when suspects cross borders after an alleged crime.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Under Singapore law, armed gang robbery carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and can also result in caning. CNA reported that the offence can carry up to 24 strokes of the cane, while The Straits Times noted that the punishment includes at least 12 strokes in the circumstances cited in its reports.
However, the men have been charged, not convicted, and the allegations against them must still be determined through the Singapore court process.
The King Albert Park case remains notable not only because of the enormous value allegedly stolen, but because of the unusual combination of cryptocurrency, millions in cash, luxury watches, armed suspects and a cross-border manhunt.
What investigators initially encountered as a late-night robbery involving more than four men ultimately became a much larger criminal investigation—with six Malaysian nationals facing charges and authorities continuing to examine the full circumstances surrounding one of Singapore’s most striking recent high-value robbery cases.
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