Singapore police said they did not arrest a Chinese national accused of money laundering because they were not asked to do so by authorities in China, even though an Interpol Red Notice had been issued for him.
Yan Zhenxing, a Singapore permanent resident in his early 40s, was detained on Monday by Indonesian authorities after he arrived at a ferry terminal in Batam, a popular resort island south of the city state. He had travelled there from Singapore, according to Indonesia’s state news agency.
The Indonesian report said Yan is a fugitive wanted by Interpol China for online gambling, and that he is suspected of being involved in a criminal gang that allegedly laundered money.
Yan went to Batam for a holiday with his family.
Indonesian authorities announced his arrest at a press conference on Thursday, and showed him handcuffed and flanked by immigration officers.
The development raised questions about how Yan had been living in Singapore while there was an Interpol Red Notice – which alerts police about internationally wanted fugitives – for him.
