Crime
Scam alert: SPF reminds public that it does not use automated voice messaging system
Members of the public are reminded by Singapore Police Force (SPF) that it does not use any automated voice messaging system to contact members of the public.
This is in response to recent reports from members of the public to the Police that they have received phone calls from individuals who claim to be from the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
The Police noted that the recipients of such calls would first hear an automated Mandarin or English voice message instructing them to enter a number. A Mandarin-speaking operator would then ask for their personal information, or told to proceed to the police station with their identification card or to risk having police officers being sent to their residence.
Below is a video clip of how such an automated call would sound like. The recipient is only given the option to choose “2”, which is the option for the Mandarin language.
In some cases, they were instructed to visit a website which looked like an SPF website or carried an SPF logo.
The Police clarified that these calls were not made by SPF officers. SPF does not use automated voice messaging systems to contact members of the public and such calls are typical scammers’ tactics.
The Police advises members of the public to take the following precautions when they receive calls from unknown parties:
• Ignore such calls and the caller’s instructions.
• Do not provide your name, identification number, passport details contact details, bank account or credit card details. Such information are useful to criminals.
“Members of the public who have received such calls or have information related to such scams can submit the information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness or lodge a police report,” it wrote.
Visit www.scamalert.sg for more information on Scam Alert.
Crime
Singaporean man arrested in Batam for alleged child sexual abuse
A Singaporean man was arrested in Batam, Indonesia, for sexually abusing his 16-year-old stepdaughter. The 50-year-old was apprehended at his residence in Batam on 7 September. Local authorities accused that the perpetrator repeatedly assaulted the victim during his visits to Batam, and the abuse is believed to have lasted for more than two years.
BATAN, INDONESIA:A Singaporean man has been arrested in Batam, Indonesia, on charges of sexually abusing his underage stepdaughter for over two years.
The 50-year-old suspect, identified only as AH, was apprehended at his residence in the Mutiara View housing complex on 7 September.
As per reported by local media, police alleged that AH repeatedly sexually assaulted his 16-year-old stepdaughter, AF, during his frequent visits to Batam.
According to Senior Police Commissioner Heribertus Ompusunggu, chief of the Barelang precinct police, the perpetrator engaged in sexual intercourse with the victim an estimated 120 times during his weekly trips to the Indonesian island.
The alleged abuse began in June 2022, shortly after AF, who used to live with her grandmother in Karawang, West Java, moved to Batam to live with her mother.
One day in July 2022, the girl slept in the same room with AH while her mother was in another room.
The police believed that after AH may have gave AF a drink laced with jasmine flowers, he allegedly sexually assaulted her.
On 7 September, the victim’s mother sought help from a friend to escape the house, unable to endure her husband’s violent behaviour and the sexual abuse of her daughter.
The victim’s mother was afraid to report the abuse due to repeated threats from the alleged perpetrator.
The police have detained AH for further investigation into alleged violations of the 2016 law on child protection.
If found guilty, he could face a prison sentence of five to 15 years, with an additional punishment of one-third of the jail term due to his status as the victim’s stepfather.
Crime
Leaders of Japanese syndicate accused of laundering S$628.7M lived in Singapore
Japanese crime syndicate leader Sotaro Ishikawa, linked to a ¥70 billion (S$628.7 million) money-laundering operation, was discovered to have ties to Singapore, including directorships in local firms. Several syndicate members were arrested in Japan and the Philippines, with investigations ongoing across multiple countries.
SINGAPORE: The head of a Japanese criminal syndicate accused of laundering ¥70 billion (S$628.7 million) for organized crime had ties to Singapore, including property ownership and directorships in local firms, The Straits Times reports.
Sotaro Ishikawa (石川宗太郎), 35, fled Japan in February amid police investigations but maintained a condominium in Bukit Timah and was appointed director of the Singaporean software firm, Rivaton, in March.
Ishikawa’s syndicate, Rivaton Group, is believed to have over 40 members and systematically set up shell companies in Japan to launder money linked to scams and illegal gambling.
The Osaka Prefectural Police revealed the group utilized corporate accounts of at least 500 companies and 4,000 bank accounts to process illicit funds.
Both Ishikawa and his second-in-command, Kosuke Yamada (山田耕介), 39, were arrested on 9 July after returning to Japan from Dubai.
Syndicate Leadership Tied to Singapore
Several senior members of the syndicate were also linked to Singapore-based companies.
Yamada, who resided in the same Bukit Timah condominium as Ishikawa, was appointed director of KO Enterprise Next in September 2023.
Takamasa Ikeda (池田隆雅), 38, the group’s third-ranking officer, lived in Novena and was director of local advertising firm Glosal, having been arrested on 2 September after flying from Singapore to Japan.
Japanese authorities issued a wanted notice in August for five senior syndicate members, including Ishikawa, Yamada, and Ikeda.
The other two leaders, Hiroyuki Kawasaki (川崎博之) and Shinya Ito (伊藤真也), were arrested in the Philippines, with plans for their extradition to Japan.
Shell Companies and a Singapore Connection
The syndicate allegedly operated with layers of management, functioning like a legitimate business.
According to the Sankei Shimbun, the group maintained standard office hours, managed by three tiers of staff, and operated with detailed procedures to avoid suspicion.
This included automated systems that transferred funds between accounts based on balance levels or timing.
In Singapore, all of the companies linked to the syndicate were established by a Japanese lawyer and Singapore permanent resident.
He claimed to have conducted thorough due diligence checks on the suspects, including meeting them personally in Japan and verifying their documents.
The lawyer expressed shock upon recognizing one of the men arrested in Japan and subsequently filed a suspicious transaction report with Singaporean authorities.
While cooperating fully with Japanese officials, he stated that he had not been contacted by Singapore authorities regarding the case.
Authorities Continue Investigations
The Rivaton Group allegedly provided money-laundering services to various criminal organizations under the guise of being a payment solutions provider.
A Japanese police official noted the syndicate’s organizational structure, with clear divisions of responsibility in areas such as fund transfers and interaction with financial institutions.
The lawyer responsible for setting up the shell companies emphasized that he had taken extra precautions after Singapore’s S$3 billion money laundering case earlier this year but had found nothing suspicious in his dealings with the syndicate members.
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