Indonesian man fined after not reporting carrying more than S$3 million in and out of Singapore

SINGAPORE: An Indonesian man was fined after failing to declare a total of more than S$3,160,000 as he travelled in and out of Singapore, the police said in a news release on Thursday (Mar 26).

Hengky, 39, was convicted and fined S$30,000 on Wednesday for failing to report cross border movement of cash between Mar 13, 2018 and Nov 28, 2019.

On Nov 28 last year, the police were alerted to a case of a man carrying cash exceeding S$20,000 at the arrival hall in Changi Airport’s Terminal 3.

Singapore’s laws dictate it is a statutory requirement to declare the physical movement of any cash exceeding S$20,000, or its equivalent in foreign currency, into or out of the country.

Investigations showed Hengky was carrying various currencies amounting to more than S$120,000 when he entered Singapore, but had not declared this.

Further investigations revealed Hengky committed 39 similar offences between Mar 13, 2018 and Nov 1, 2019. 

In total, the cash he failed to declare amounted to more than S$3,160,000.

Hengky could have been jailed up to three years or fined not more than S$50,000, or both, under Section 48C of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act.