SINGAPORE: A 58-year-old Singaporean man who played a key role in a Malaysia-based drug syndicate was sentenced on Monday (Dec 30) to 28 years and nine months in prison in Singapore’s largest money laundering prosecution for profits from drug trafficking.
In addition to coordinating the supply of drugs to Singapore, Lian Hoe Heng laundered more than $1.27 million in drug proceeds for himself and a fellow syndicate member, prosecutors told the High Court.
In sentencing, court commissioner Christopher Tan noted that Lian was a central part of the drug enterprise, raking in a six-figure sum for coordinating the syndicate’s activities.
Lian had pleaded guilty to five charges: one of drug trafficking and four of money laundering. A further 18 charges, for drug-related offenses and money laundering, were considered.
Lian admitted to inducing another Singaporean, Tan Guosheng, to be in possession of not less than 249.99 grams of methamphetamine for the purpose of human trafficking.
The amount specified in the indictment is just under the 250 gram threshold for the death penalty.
Tan, 30, was a client of the syndicate and also helped Lian collect and distribute drugs.
Of Lian’s four money laundering charges, one relates to his own criminal proceeds, while the other three relate to the criminal proceeds of a syndicate member identified as “Kadi”.
The total amount laundered included Lian’s proceeds of approximately $203,000 and Kadi’s proceeds of approximately $1.07 million.
A search of company records revealed that Lian owned Chuan Hup Seng Tentage Construction and Long Seng Chairs & Tables Rental Enterprise.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ivan Chua told the court that Lian left Singapore for Malaysia on November 19, 2018 and lived in Johor Bahru until he was repatriated to Singapore on April 16, 2023.
As of 2020, Lian worked for a drug syndicate and took instructions from Kadi.
Lian’s role was to coordinate the supply of drugs such as methamphetamine, ketamine, cannabis and MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, to Singapore.
He took orders from customers via phone calls or text messages and passed the orders to Kadi.
Kadi and other members of the syndicate would then arrange for the drugs to be delivered to various locations in Singapore.
Once the medicines were delivered, Lian would contact the runners or customers to collect the goods. He was paid with methamphetamine or a few hundred dollars for each order.
Lian also told the runners or customers to transfer payment for the medicines to different bank accounts in Singapore and Malaysia.
If Kadi’s proceeds were transferred to Lian’s bank accounts, he would keep some of it as compensation.
Lian also transferred his own proceeds from his accounts in Singapore to various accounts in Malaysia and his girlfriend’s bank account in Vietnam.
In some cases, Lian hired a third party, known only as “Lao Ban Niang,” to transfer drug proceeds from accounts in Singapore to those in Malaysia.
On October 7, 2020, a package containing crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as Ice, was delivered to the Housing Board elevator lobby by a runner.
Lian instructed Tan to pick up the package. In turn, Tan asked another person to help him pick it up from the drop-off point.
After the drugs were handed over to him, Tan drove back to his rented house in Kembangan.
He was arrested in front of the house by agents of the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) after he got out of his car.
According to previous media reports, Lian’s involvement in the drug deal was discovered after Tan’s arrest.
The agency then contacted his foreign counterparts for information on his whereabouts.
Lian was arrested on March 31, 2023 by the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department of the Royal Malaysian Police. He was repatriated to Singapore on April 16 that year.
DPP Nicholas Khoo sought a total prison sentence of at least 28 years and five months for Lian’s criminality, both as a drug trafficker and as a money launderer.
The prosecutor said Lian was not just a drug mule but an integral cog in the syndicate, likening his role to that of chief operating officer of a company.
Lian’s lawyer, Choo Si Sen, said his client was facing financial difficulties in Malaysia when he was recruited by Kadi.
Tan’s case is pending in court. – The Straits Times/ANN