Man wanted by US, with $7 million bounty on his head, still in Singapore
The Singaporean businessman who has a US$5 million (S$7 million) bounty on his head is still in Singapore.
Kwek Kee Seng, 62, owner of the Swanseas Port Services shipping company here, is accused of violating sanctions on North Korea.
He is wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the US Department of State’s Rewards for Justice programme on Thursday offered a bounty for information on him.
On Saturday, the Singapore Police Force said he was still in Singapore, and had been under investigation by the Commercial Affairs Department for offences under Singapore’s United Nations Act 2001.
His passport has been impounded since investigations began in April 2021.
The police said they shared information on investigations with US law enforcement authorities via a letter on April 30, 2021.
This was formally conveyed by Singapore to various US agencies through a third-party note on May 7, 2021.
The police said: “Since then, there were several more exchanges. Due to the nature and complexity of the case, investigations are still ongoing.”
They added that they wrote to their US counterparts on Friday to seek clarification, given that they have been in active communication regarding the case.
“Singapore will continue to assist the US authorities within the ambit of our laws and international obligations,” said the police.
US court records indicate that Kwek was known to be living in a flat in Choa Chu Kang North.
The US State Department said Kwek has engaged in an “extensive scheme” to evade sanctions by the US and United Nations by covertly transporting fuel to North Korea.
“Kwek and his co-conspirators sought to obscure their identities and activities by conducting financial transactions through a series of shell companies,” it said.
“He directed payments in US dollars that were routed from his shell companies based in Panama, Singapore and elsewhere, and through US banks to pay for oil, the M/T Courageous, services and materials for the vessel, and salaries for crew members.”
Kwek allegedly bought the Courageous, a 2,700-tonne oil tanker, in July 2019 for about US$580,000 (S$770,000) and used it to transport some 2.8 million kg of oil to North Korea.
The tanker was seized in Cambodia in 2020.
Kwek had been charged in the US with conspiring to violate sanctions and to commit money laundering, and was allegedly involved in the scheme from February 2018 to March 2020.
In April 2021, the FBI issued a wanted notice for Kwek.
If tried and convicted, he could be jailed for up to 20 years on each charge.
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