Six Malaysian men jailed for S$4.9 million armed robbery at King Albert Park GCB

Six Malaysian men were sentenced to jail terms ranging from seven years and eight months to nearly 13 years for an armed gang robbery at a Good Class Bungalow in Singapore's King Albert Park area. The heist, which occurred in the early hours of April 18, 2024, targeted a high stakes poker game and resulted in the theft of approximately S$4.9 million in cash, valuables, and cryptocurrency. Seven masked men armed with machetes and baseball bats tied up 11 people inside the home before fleeing to Malaysia via the Tuas and Woodlands checkpoints.

The two masterminds, Wong Chi Shan, 35, and Goh Boon Tong, 30, each received 12 years and 11 months in jail and 24 strokes of the cane. Court documents revealed that Wong and Goh planned the robbery after learning about the poker games from a friend. They recruited Mohd Hamidon Ahmed, 49, a private security and debt collection firm owner, to provide muscle for the operation in exchange for RM1.5 million. Hamidon, who was sentenced to 10.5 years in jail and 24 strokes of the cane, recruited several other men to assist.

Other sentenced individuals include Kartik Palaniappan, 34, and Muhammad Tauffiq Ahmad Fauzi, 34, who both received seven years and eight months in jail and 24 strokes of the cane. Mohd Hashim Ismail, 51, was sentenced to eight years and eight months in jail. A seventh suspect, 33 year old Muhammad Yusuf Kassim, remains at large and is believed to be in Thailand.

Prosecutors described the event as one of the highest value robberies in Singapore's history. While S$4.9 million was stolen, police have recovered only about S$1.69 million in cryptocurrency. The court also heard that the masterminds were involved in vice offences, including arranging for Japanese women to work as sex workers in Singapore. The poker game was hosted by a Chinese national and involved players of various nationalities, including Singaporeans, an Indonesian, and a Chinese national.