SINGAPORE – A man allegedly linked to an illegal online gambling advertisement operation in Cambodia is accused of having US$20,000 (S$26,800) in his possession at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal on Feb 17.
David Hermanto is said to have planned to transport the money to Cambodia to fund the operation.
On Feb 27, the 35-year-old Indonesian man was charged with one count each of money laundering and failing to declare cross-border movement of cash.
Travellers entering or leaving Singapore with more than $20,000 in cash, or its equivalent in a foreign currencies, are required by law to make a declaration to the authorities.
Court documents stated that the US$20,000 was his alleged benefits from criminal conduct linked to the illegal operation.
The police said on Feb 26 that between 2022 and 2025, David allegedly worked with others to create and post advertisements for illegal gambling websites on social media platforms, primarily targeting Indonesian victims.
“Investigations by the Commercial Affairs Department revealed that the man was allegedly involved in an illegal online gambling advertisement operation based in Sihanoukville, Cambodia,” the police added.
Screenshots of advertisements created for illegal gambling websites.PHOTOS: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
The US$20,000 was converted from 326 million rupiah that he purportedly received in Pekanbaru, Indonesia, from illegal online gambling operators for the alleged advertising services.
Police did not disclose why David went to Singapore on Feb 17.
He is expected to plead guilty on March 27.
- Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times’ court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts.
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