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SINGAPORE: Two Singaporean men suspected of operating a transnational vice syndicate were arrested in Thailand on Tuesday (Jun 17).
A Thai man was also arrested during the cross-border operation by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Royal Thai Police (RTP).
Investigations into the criminal syndicate began in 2023. From April 2023 to May 2025, more than 70 vice workers who were arrested in Singapore were allegedly managed by the syndicate.
"Investigations against the vice workers established useful information against the vice syndicate," said the Singapore Police Force.
Officers from the Specialised Crime Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) worked with counterparts from the Technology Crime Suppression Division of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the RTP to share investigation findings related to the syndicate.
Based on the leads, the identities of the three syndicate members were established.
The 38-year-old Singaporean man allegedly used a "complex network of bank accounts" to remit the prostitution earnings of the vice workers from Singapore to Thailand, said the police.
The other Singaporean – a 36-year-old man – allegedly supported the syndicate in the transnational vice operations.
They were arrested by the RTP under the Thai Criminal Code.
Assets valued at more than 20 million Thai baht (US$609,000), comprising cash in bank accounts and two condominium units, were seized by Thai police.
Officers also found laptops, mobile phones, hard drives, bank cards and SIM cards.
More than S$1.26 million of suspected criminal proceeds from the 38-year-old man's Singapore bank accounts were frozen. Investigations are ongoing, said SPF.
A joint transnational anti-vice operation saw the arrest of two Singaporean men in Thailand on Jun 17, 2025. (Photo: SPF)
SPF said authorities from Singapore and Thailand "remain committed to working together to disrupt the activities of transnational vice syndicates and bring them to justice".
It added that the successful outcome of the operation by the Thai police underscores the "importance of international cooperation" in tackling the evolving threat of transnational syndicated crimes.
Both sides expressed their appreciation for the support during the joint operation.
"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," Deputy Director of CID, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Yeo Yee Chuan said.
The Commissioner of Thailand's CIB, Police Lieutenant General Jirabhop Bhuridej, said: “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."
