THAILAND: Two Singaporean men were among three individuals arrested in Thailand for their suspected involvement in a transnational vice syndicate, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) announced on 19 June.
The arrests were made on 17 June in a joint cross-border operation between the SPF and the Royal Thai Police (RTP).
The suspects included two Singaporeans, aged 36 and 38, and a 50-year-old Thai man.
During the operation, Thai authorities seized assets valued at over 20 million baht (S$790,600), comprising cash in bank accounts and two condominium units.
Laptops, mobile phones, hard drives, bank cards, and SIM cards were also seized when the three men were arrested.
Separately, the SPF froze more than S$1.26 million from the Singapore bank accounts of the 38-year-old suspect, believed to be proceeds from criminal activities.
According to a report by Thai news outlet Khaosod English on 18 June, one of the Singaporean men was apprehended at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport after arriving from Singapore.
Thai immigration police arrested the man after receiving intelligence that a foreign national wanted for prostitution and money laundering offences would be entering Thailand through the airport.
According to The Straits Times, the 38-year-old was arrested at the airport, while the 36-year-old was arrested at his residence in Thailand.
Investigations into the syndicate began in 2023. The group is believed to have recruited foreign women and trafficked them to Singapore to work in the vice trade.
Between April 2023 and May 2025, at least 76 vice workers allegedly linked to the syndicate were arrested, according to the SPF.
These arrests provided valuable information that advanced investigations into the network.
Through joint efforts and intelligence sharing between Singapore and Thailand, police were able to identify the three suspects.
The 38-year-old Singaporean is accused of using a complex network of bank accounts to transfer prostitution proceeds from Singapore to Thailand, while the 36-year-old allegedly played a supporting role in the syndicate’s transnational operations.
Investigations are ongoing.
Commenting on the operation, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SAC) Yeo Yee Chuan underscored the importance of cross-border collaboration in tackling organised crime.
“The SPF is committed to working closely with our regional partners, and we thank the RTP for their invaluable collaboration in dismantling this criminal network to prevent the exploitation of women, stem the scourge of transnational crimes and take affirmative actions against the laundering of criminal proceeds,” said SAC Yeo, who is deputy director of the Criminal Investigation Department.
Thailand’s Police Lieutenant-General Jirabhop Bhuridej also commended the cooperation between both forces.
“The dedication and professionalism of the SPF and RTP officers were instrumental in the successful cross-border operational collaboration, which led to the apprehension of the transnational criminal syndicate,” he said.
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