NSF participates in loanshark scam, then escapes to Batam

SINGAPORE - A full-time national serviceman with the Singapore Civil Defence Force was on probation over a Covid-19-related offence when he opened two bank accounts which others later used to receive money from scam victims.

Nor Syafie Ahmad, now 20, then unlawfully left Singapore by boat for Batam, Indonesia, in May 2021 to avoid conviction.

On Jan 11, 2022, he surrendered to the authorities in Batam, and was sentenced to three months’ jail in Indonesia for entering the country illegally.

He later returned to Singapore and was ordered to undergo reformative training for at least a year from May 18, 2022, after he breached his probation.

He is now undergoing reformative training at Tanah Merah Prison, where he must follow a strict regimen that can include foot drills and counselling.

On Wednesday, Nor, who appeared in court via video link, pleaded guilty to several charges, including that of being part of a conspiracy to cheat OCBC Bank and failing to report for his national service duty by being absent from May 2, 2021, to Jan 10, 2022.

He had borrowed an undisclosed sum of money from a loan shark some time between 2020 and 2021, which he could not repay, said the prosecution.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jason Chua said: “The unlicensed moneylender gave the accused two choices to settle his debt. He could either harass debtors or open a bank account and relinquish it to the unlicensed moneylender. The accused chose the latter option.”

On Feb 10, 2021, the loan shark told Nor to open a business account with OCBC, stating that he was the sole operator of the account. He then handed the account’s bank card, personal identification number and Internet banking credentials to the loan shark so that the latter and unknown parties could take control of it.

In March 2021, the account was used to receive $31,500 from three victims of an investment scam.

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Meanwhile, Nor also borrowed $3,000 in 2021 from a person known only as “Moon”, purportedly another unlicensed moneylender.

The DPP said: “Moon told the accused that he could settle his loan by opening a bank account and providing him with the bank card and Internet banking details. The accused agreed to the offer and opened an HSBC bank account.”

Nor sent its Internet banking details to Moon via messaging platform WhatsApp and couriered the bank card to a Malaysian address provided by Moon.

The HSBC account was then used to receive $22,300 from two victims of a delivery scam.

Nor later paid $5,000 to an unknown person for a boat to transport him illegally from Pasir Panjang Ferry Terminal to Batam.

He was put under reformative training after he returned to Singapore.

On Wednesday, the court called for a report to assess his suitability for another stint of reformative training.

His case has been adjourned to Jan 18, 2023.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.