In an operation that involved the FBI and Meta, the Singapore Police Force arrested seven men between the ages of 28 and 53 who were suspected to have being involved in a transnational illegal betting syndicate. The arrests were the result of the reports since March 2023; the victims were lured to open gambling accounts with an online site and transfer money to the anonymous bank accounts to be used as gambling credits.
Transnational betting is being uncovered due to international cooperation
On October 5, 2025, seven men aged between 28 and 53 years were arrested by the Singapore Police Force on suspicion that they were making available a transnational illegal remote betting activity. The operation constitutes an outcome of effective teamwork of the SPF, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Meta. As of March 2023, SPF had already received several complaints about victims in Singapore being lured to open gambling accounts with a gambling site based online.
They were subsequently requested to deposit the money in anonymous bank accounts as gambling credits. First, the victims would redeem their wins successfully via bank wire to anonymous bank accounts. But when they proceeded to gamble further on the site and sought more winnings, the syndicate would tell the victims that they needed to get more winnings or Brazilian credits.
Initial enquiries are overseas syndicate operations
Initial research by SPF shows that the transnational syndicate operating the site is thought to be working abroad, not only in Singapore but also in other countries in Asia. This will avoid the identification of SPF and their increased criminal activities in various territories. Some of the victims were made to lost over S$175,000 when the syndicate barred redemptions; they were required to put more on their winnings or credit purchases before redemptions could be made.
Concurrent searches result in massive evidence takes
Based on the information they received about the alleged gambling activities through the FBI and Meta, SPF still made additional probes, which culminated in the arrest of the members of the syndicate. In the process, the Criminal Investigation Department as well as the Police Intelligence Department officers conducted raids concurrently at various places throughout the island, such as Flora Drive, Bukit Batok West Avenue 9, Chin Swee Road, Sims Place, Pasir Ris Street 51, Tampines Avenue 2, and Hougang Avenue 8.
Cash, 15 bank accounts, and a fine watch, whose total estimated value was above S$500,000, were confiscated. Cases of electronic gadgets like computers, mobile phones, and SIM cards were also confiscated in the broad exercise.
Four suspects are charged in court immediately. The four men, between 28 and 53, will be arraigned in court on October 6, 2025, for having engaged in an illegal betting business as defined in the Gambling Control Act 2022. Criminal investigations by the police are still on the other three men who had been arrested in the process.
Strict punishments will befall those found guilty of betting on operators
Any individual convicted of engaging in making an unlawful betting operation as the operators in the year 2022 shall be fined not less than or not more than S$500,000 and imprisoned for up to seven years as provided under the Gambling Control Act 2022. A fine of S$200,000 and an array of seven years in jail against agents, and a S$10,000 fine or six months in jail against gamblers who use illegal services.
The case of the cooperation between SPF, FBI, and Meta shows that the technology companies and the international agencies can cooperate to destroy the complex criminal networks. This operation, with the use of huge fines in the Gambling Control Act and continuous investigations, sends a strong message that Singapore will hunt illegal betting operators wherever they are, and keep its citizens off the exploitation of their funds.