Singapore: Gambling addict blackmails online date

The spectacular hostage-taking happened in March 2021 at the Marina Bay Sands casino resort. Here the 25-year-old perpetrator has arranged a date with his victim in the hotel room. However, after the consensual intercourse, the man is said to have tied up the woman for several hours and extorted money from her. For the cruel act, the man has now been sentenced by a court in Singapore to several years in prison and several blows with the cane. Most recently, in the summer of 2019, we reported in an article about a Singaporean accountant who embezzled $41 million for gambling.

25-year-old tied up his naked victim and extorted money from her

The young man was a guest at the Marina Bay Sands Casino Resort in Singapore. There he had arranged to meet his young victim in his hotel room. The meeting was planned as a date and initially there was consensual sexual intercourse.

But then the 25-year-old attacked the still undressed victim, who was about to go to the bathroom at the time. He then tied the young woman’s hands and feet and, under threat of physical violence, made her give him her online banking details. In the hours that followed, the perpetrator used the woman’s smartphone to repeatedly make transfers. Overall, the forced transfers resulted in damage equivalent to almost 48,000 euros.

The man also tried to take out a loan of 64,000 Singapore dollars on the woman’s behalf. Fortunately, this attempt failed, so no additional damage was caused. The hostage-taker only released the woman the next morning. Before that, however, he warned her not to go to the police. He threatened to publish nude photos of her on the internet.

Singapore is the smallest country in Southeast Asia in terms of area. The country with its almost 5.7 million inhabitants not only has a high status in terms of social indicators such as quality of life and education, but is also an important international financial hub. In addition, residents here benefit from an above-average life expectancy and the fastest internet connections in the world.

Gambling addict kidnapper arrested and now convicted

The 25-year-old was arrested by the police on the same day. The victim confided in a friend who together consulted the investigators. The 25-year-old perpetrator admitted the horrific act to the police. He further stated that he was addicted to gambling and was particularly addicted to online gambling. Just a few days ago we reported on which players are particularly susceptible to addiction.

However, the court in Singapore showed no understanding for the suspect’s gambling addiction and sentenced the hostage-taker to three years and two months in prison a few days ago. In addition, the man was sentenced to endure twelve strokes of the cane.

As early as 2012, around 2,500 people were sentenced to beatings in Singapore. Among them were 1,000 illegal immigrants alone. Courts in the neighboring countries of Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia can also sentence people to such corporal punishment.

In an interview with WELT, the ex-criminal Neville Tan commented on the subject of stick hits back in 2015. When asked how the stick hits felt, the now 75-year-old Tan replied:

“There is nothing. It’s just a moment. It hurts for a little while and then it’s over.”

When asked if the blows with the cane weren’t unbearable, he replied:

“No, not unbearable. Because there are security measures. A doctor examines your health beforehand, monitors your blood pressure. If you have heart problems, they won’t hit you. In addition, your kidneys will be covered. And then you will receive medical care.”

Conclusion

The 25-year-old perpetrator was sentenced to three years and two months in prison and twelve strokes of the cane for taking his online date hostage and the subsequent blackmail. Unfortunately, this case shows once again what horrible deeds people can commit in seemingly hopeless life situations.