Singaporean authorities strengthened its anti-money laundering efforts by freezing over $2 billion in assets, including cryptocurrency.
Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo announced that Singapore has increased its efforts to combat money laundering by freezing assets worth more than $2 billion.
Notably, the comprehensive list of frozen assets includes 62 vehicles, 152 pieces of real estate, jewelry, gold bars, and other priceless possessions. The government’s emphasis on using electronic financial instruments as conduits for money laundering is shown by the inclusion of cryptocurrency in the list of seized assets.
Teo claimed that ten foreigners with Chinese ancestry had been arrested due to the ongoing inquiry. The accusations included cryptocurrency money laundering, con artists, and unlawful gaming.
Singapore is also considering tightening its visa verification procedure to reduce illegal financial operations, such as cryptocurrency-related scams. Teo dispelled rumors that the investigation was sparked by outside influence by stating that Singapore’s legislative activities are purely motivated by its interests. She informed Bloomberg.
“The moment we identify a risk involving any form of assets, including cryptocurrencies, immediate action is taken.”