https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/first-malaysian-man-caning-investment-scam-maplerock
singapore
Malaysian national Yap Chin Guan, 23, was sentenced to seven months' jail and one stroke of the cane.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Danial Zahrin
PUBLISHED ON April 29, 2026 9:25 PM BY Sean Ler
A Malaysian man has become the first money mule to be sentenced to caning since caning for scams and scam-related offences came into effect on Dec 30, 2025.
On Wednesday (April 29), Yap Ching Gun, 23, was convicted of money laundering, having collected cash from an elderly victim of an investment scam in Singapore. He was sentenced to seven months' jail and one stroke of the cane.
Yap had been recruited via Telegram by an unknown person to collect money from the victim, who had been duped into handing over the cash.
The victim believed the funds would be deposited as investment capital in a fictitious investment brokerage firm named Maplerock.
Yap collected at least JPY1,000,000 (S$8,198) from the victim and handed the money over to an unknown man.
The police said in a news release after his sentencing that Yap's case marks the first instance of caning being imposed on a person convicted of money laundering under the amended Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act.
Under the amendments, mules who enable scammers by laundering their proceeds, providing SIM cards or providing Singpass credentials face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes; the courts will have discretion on whether to impose caning.
Since March this year, a total of 19 Malaysians have been arrested for allegedly helping scam syndicates to collect cash and valuables.
On Wednesday, a 27-year-old Malaysian man and a 34-year-old Malaysian woman were also charged over their suspected roles in a scam involving the impersonation of government officials.
The police warned would-be perpetrators, amidst a trend of Malaysians working as mules, that those involved in scams will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
singapore
Malaysian man is first money mule to be caned under updated law targeting scam syndicates
The 23-year-old collected at least JPY1,000,0000 (S$8,198) from an elderly investment scam victim and handed it to an unknown person
Malaysian national Yap Chin Guan, 23, was sentenced to seven months' jail and one stroke of the cane.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Danial Zahrin
PUBLISHED ON April 29, 2026 9:25 PM BY Sean Ler
A Malaysian man has become the first money mule to be sentenced to caning since caning for scams and scam-related offences came into effect on Dec 30, 2025.
On Wednesday (April 29), Yap Ching Gun, 23, was convicted of money laundering, having collected cash from an elderly victim of an investment scam in Singapore. He was sentenced to seven months' jail and one stroke of the cane.
Yap had been recruited via Telegram by an unknown person to collect money from the victim, who had been duped into handing over the cash.
The victim believed the funds would be deposited as investment capital in a fictitious investment brokerage firm named Maplerock.
Yap collected at least JPY1,000,000 (S$8,198) from the victim and handed the money over to an unknown man.
The police said in a news release after his sentencing that Yap's case marks the first instance of caning being imposed on a person convicted of money laundering under the amended Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act.
Under the amendments, mules who enable scammers by laundering their proceeds, providing SIM cards or providing Singpass credentials face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes; the courts will have discretion on whether to impose caning.
Since March this year, a total of 19 Malaysians have been arrested for allegedly helping scam syndicates to collect cash and valuables.
On Wednesday, a 27-year-old Malaysian man and a 34-year-old Malaysian woman were also charged over their suspected roles in a scam involving the impersonation of government officials.
The police warned would-be perpetrators, amidst a trend of Malaysians working as mules, that those involved in scams will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
