International
Montenegro arrests Wang Shuiming after deportation from Singapore for money laundering
Wang Shuiming, one of 10 jailed in Singapore’s largest money laundering case, was arrested in Montenegro upon arrival by private plane. The Montenegrin police, acting on an Interpol notice, detained him at Tivat Airport, citing his involvement in illegal online betting and ongoing criminal proceedings. Wang had previously been deported to Japan by Singapore after reportedly indicating that he wanted to be sent there.

Wang Shuiming, one of 10 convicts jailed in Singapore’s record-breaking S$3 billion ($2.25 billion) money laundering case, was arrested in Montenegro upon arriving by private jet from the Maldives.
Local daily Vijesti reported on 28 January 2025 that Montenegrin border police detained Wang at Tivat Airport after identifying him through Interpol’s databases.
Wang, originally from China and also known as Vang Shuiming, had been deported from Singapore to Japan on 1 June 2024 after completing a 13-month and six-week jail term.
During his sentencing in Singapore on 14 May 2024, he pleaded guilty to two counts of money laundering and one count of submitting a forged document to a bank. He had 19 additional charges taken into consideration.
The Montenegrin police directorate confirmed that criminal proceedings are ongoing against Wang but did not specify the jurisdiction. Authorities linked him to illegal online betting operations involving Chinese citizens. Wang is expected to appear before the Higher Court in Podgorica, Montenegro’s capital, for further proceedings.
According to court hearings in Singapore, Wang had obtained passports from Turkey, Vanuatu, and Cambodia by making donations to those countries. At the time of his arrest in Montenegro, he was reportedly traveling on documents issued by Vanuatu.
In Singapore, Wang’s conviction stemmed from the submission of forged financial statements to banks regarding the source of about S$3.2 million ($2.4 million) held in four bank accounts.
Initially, Wang claimed the funds originated from a loan business in China. Later, he revised his statement, attributing the money to gambling winnings and real estate investments in the Philippines.
His case was part of a larger crackdown involving 10 individuals arrested on 15 August 2023 in Singapore, following coordinated islandwide raids. The operation, which led to the seizure of over S$3 billion ($2.25 billion) in assets, was Singapore’s largest money laundering investigation to date. Wang was arrested at a good class bungalow on Bishopsgate, near Orchard Road.
As part of his plea deal, Wang agreed to forfeit about S$240 million ($180 million) of the S$266 million ($199 million) worth of seized assets, cash, and luxury items belonging to him and his wife.
This included about S$122 million ($91.5 million) in bank and portfolio accounts, 15 properties valued at S$29.6 million ($22.2 million), and three luxury cars worth S$3.38 million ($2.53 million), including a Rolls-Royce Phantom. Authorities also seized eight high-end watches worth S$17.4 million ($13.05 million) and a Kawai crystal grand piano valued at S$240,000 ($180,000).
The 10 arrested individuals, all originally from China, were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 13 to 17 months and were subsequently deported and barred from re-entering Singapore. Investigations revealed that five of the convicts were wanted by China, raising questions in Singapore’s Parliament regarding the deportation decisions.
In July 2024, Workers’ Party MP Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Home Affairs why Chinese nationals convicted of offences in Singapore were not deported to China, given that five were reportedly wanted there. The Minister of State for Home Affairs, Sun Xueling, without addressing Ms Lim’s question, explained that deportation decisions depend on the travel documents held by the offenders and their preferred destinations. Eight of the convicts, including Wang, chose to be deported to countries such as Japan and Cambodia.
Further developments in the billion-dollar case included the surrender of S$2.5 billion ($1.85 billion) worth of assets by 15 fugitives who fled Singapore during the investigations. Authorities are still pursuing two remaining suspects, Xu Haika and Xu Hainan, who remain at large. Their combined assets, worth S$194 million ($144.9 million), are under prohibition of disposal orders, preventing their sale or transfer.
Wang’s arrest in Montenegro marks the first public disclosure of his whereabouts since his deportation.

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