SINGAPORE: A 15-year-old woman who was kidnapped in Malaysia is believed to be the sufferer of an identification theft rip-off by a Chinese official, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) mentioned on Friday (Dec 6).
CNA understands that the woman is a Chinese citizen who attends college in Singapore.
Preliminary investigations point out that the woman was instructed by faux Chinese officers to journey to Malaysia on November 24 to help in an alleged cash laundering case, police mentioned in response to media queries.
Police confirmed on Friday that she returned to Singapore on Dec 1, accompanied by her father. The investigations are ongoing.
The SPF acquired a tip on Nov. 25 that the woman was lacking.
Singapore police mentioned two days later that preliminary investigations indicated the woman had voluntarily left Singapore unaccompanied and that the case was being investigated by Malaysian authorities.
CHINESE CITIZEN CHARGED IN MALAYSIA
According to Malaysian newspaper The Star, a Chinese nationwide was charged in Johor Bahru on Thursday with the woman’s kidnapping.
Huang Xiaonan, a 22-year-old finding out at a college in Singapore, is accused of kidnapping the woman from a lodge in Johor Bahru on November 24.
The courtroom denied Huang bail, because the prosecution known as him a flight danger. He will return to courtroom on January 27, 2025.
According to The Star, the woman entered Johor Bahru by the Woodlands checkpoint on November 24.
Johor Police Commander M Kumar reportedly mentioned {that a} 48-year-old Chinese nationwide had lodged a grievance with the police on November 26, alleging that his 15-year-old daughter had not attended college in Singapore.
The woman was present in Kuantan, Pahang. Huang was arrested on the similar location, The Star reported.
From January to October this 12 months, there have been at the least 308 rip-off instances involving impersonating Chinese officers in Singapore, with whole losses of at the least S$38.2 million ($28.5 million).
During the identical interval final 12 months, at the least 231 rip-off instances involving impersonation of Chinese officers have been recorded, with whole losses amounting to greater than S$22 million.
