Yan Zhenxing’s Arrest in Indonesia Raises Questions About Singapore’s Involvement
Singapore’s police have clarified that they did not arrest Yan Zhenxing, a Chinese national accused of money laundering, because they had not received an official request from China to do so, despite an Interpol Red Notice being issued for his arrest.
Yan, a Singapore permanent resident in his early 40s, was arrested on December 2, 2024, by Indonesian authorities at a ferry terminal in Batam after traveling there from Singapore. He is wanted by China for online gambling and suspected involvement in a criminal gang allegedly linked to money laundering. Yan had been in Singapore before his trip to Indonesia, raising questions about how he managed to remain in the city-state while being the subject of an international arrest notice.
In response to inquiries, the Singapore Police Force stated that although they were aware of the Red Notice, it did not grant them the authority to arrest him. Arresting a fugitive under such notices requires an official extradition request from the country seeking assistance, which the police had not received from China. Additionally, they confirmed that no Interpol notice was in place when Yan was granted permanent residency in Singapore.
Yan has not been linked to the record S$3 billion money laundering scandal involving other China-born individuals in Singapore, and he is not currently under investigation in Singapore.
