Indonesia arrests Chinese man based in Singapore wanted by Beijing for money laundering

The man, also a Singapore permanent resident, is involved in moving over 130 million yuan (US$17.8 million) in an online crime ring

Reading Time:2 minutes

Indonesian immigration officials hold Yan Zhangxing, who was detained on Monday by immigration officers at a cross-border ferry terminal on Batam island, next to Singapore. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 8:56pm, 5 Dec 2024

Indonesian authorities have arrested a Chinese man sought by Beijing for allegedly helping transfer and laundering almost US$18 million from a criminal online gambling group in China, officials said on Thursday.

Yan Zhenxing was detained on Monday by immigration officers at a cross-border ferry terminal on Batam island, next to Singapore.

Yuldi Yusman, the Director of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement, said Yan was arrested following an Interpol red notice for him. The notices request law enforcement agencies worldwide to detain or arrest a suspect wanted by a specific country.

Yusman said Yan, a permanent resident of Singapore, was arriving in Batam for a holiday with his family when he was detained.

Indonesian authorities brought the suspect, wearing a detainee’s orange shirt and a face mask, to a news conference on Thursday in the capital of Jakarta. The suspect did not make any statements and was not asked any questions.

Yan Zhangxing, a permanent resident of Singapore, was arriving in Batam for a holiday with his family when he was detained. Photo: EPA-EFE

Yusman said that Yan was named as a suspect by police in China’s Inner Mongolia region who allege he was involved in transferring and laundering more than 130 million yuan (US$17.8 million) from a criminal online gambling group.