Singapore authorities have seized a luxury mansion worth S$55 million (US$42.5 million) as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged Nvidia AI chip smuggling and money laundering network, officials said.
The property, located in one of Singapore's most exclusive residential districts near the Botanic Gardens, is suspected of having been purchased using proceeds from the illegal trade of high-performance servers containing Nvidia artificial intelligence chips that are subject to U.S. export controls.
Police said a court order has been issued to prevent the sale or transfer of the property while investigations continue.
Authorities allege that approximately S$38 million used to purchase the mansion originated from criminal proceeds.
The property's owner, Wei Zhaolun, also known as Alan Wei, has been charged with money laundering. Wei is the chief executive of Singapore-based Aperia Group, a company that supplies enterprise servers and technology hardware.
Investigators have also frozen around S$1 million held in bank accounts connected to the case.
Police said the investigation began in February 2025, and so far four individuals have been charged with fraud, money laundering and other offences linked to the alleged scheme.
According to investigators, the accused allegedly placed orders for high-end servers from international suppliers while falsely claiming the equipment would be used by legitimate companies with which they were associated. Authorities have not disclosed the final destination of the servers.
The servers involved in the investigation were reportedly purchased from Dell Technologies, Super Micro Computer and ASUS. Authorities have not accused the manufacturers of any wrongdoing.
Singapore police also charged Luxuriate Your Life and three companies operating under the Aperia Group, describing the case as the first involving corporate prosecutions under the ongoing investigation into restricted technology exports.
If convicted of fraud, those charged could face prison terms of up to 20 years under Singapore law.
The investigation comes amid tighter international scrutiny of advanced semiconductor exports following U.S. restrictions introduced in 2022 on Nvidia's most advanced AI chips over national security concerns.
Washington has previously identified Singapore as a potential transit point for unauthorized shipments of restricted technology destined for China. Singaporean authorities have since stepped up enforcement efforts in cooperation with U.S. agencies to prevent illegal re-export activities.
In a statement, Singapore police reaffirmed their "zero-tolerance" approach toward financial crimes and violations involving controlled technologies, saying they would continue taking firm action to protect the country's reputation as a trusted global business and technology hub.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not ruled out further arrests or additional charges as inquiries continue.
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