New: Seven Malaysians Rob King Albert Park Bungalow, Six Jailed

SINGAPORE, Sept 15 — Six Malaysian men were sentenced to jail after pleading guilty to charges linked to a violent armed robbery at a Good Class Bungalow (GCB) in King Albert Park, where high-stakes poker games were hosted.

On Apr. 18, 2024, the group stormed the property armed with machetes and baseball bats, tying up 11 people before fleeing with about S$4.9 million in cash and valuables. The men — Wong Chi Shan, 35, Goh Boon Tong, 30, Mohd Hamidon Ahmed, 49, Kartik Palaniappan, 34, Mohd Hashim Ismail, 51, and Muhammad Tauffiq Ahmad Fauzi, 34 — were later arrested in Malaysia and extradited to Singapore. One accomplice remains at large, believed to have fled to Thailand.

Malaysians

Wong and Goh, the masterminds, had learned of the poker games in late 2023 and plotted the robbery after facing financial difficulties. They recruited Hamidon, who ran a private security firm, to assemble a team. The robbers failed twice before succeeding on their third attempt, entering through an unlocked gate and door while the game was ongoing.

Besides robbery charges, Wong and Goh also admitted to offences involving sex services by Japanese women. The case has drawn attention to cross-border crime and the risks surrounding underground gambling.

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