SINGAPORE, June 23 — The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is investigating two men over alleged money laundering offences linked to Cambodia’s widely-sanctioned Prince Group and their associates. Police on June 23 identified the two men as Hu Xiaowei and Qiu Wei Ren. Qiu was named in sanctions issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in the United States the same day.
Both Hu and Qiu are believed to have left the country before October 2025 and are currently not in Singapore. Hu holds passports issued by Cyprus, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Hong Kong, which suggests he may have had multiple identities and avenues for travel.
Police had previously seized assets held across his bank and securities accounts in Singapore in January 2026, a significant move indicating the extent of the investigation into his financial dealings. The OFAC had previously sanctioned Hu in October 2025 under the alias, Chen Xiao’er, over his alleged links to the Prince Group, which the US described as one of Asia’s largest transnational criminal organisations. This designation underscores the seriousness with which the US views the Prince Group’s activities and Hu’s alleged involvement.
Hu, who is confirmed to have at least two other aliases including Hu Shi and Wu An Ming, was a shareholder of two of Chen Zhi’s companies until at least 2021, further entwining him with the group’s operations. A Singapore-based family office linked to Hu Xiaowei was also sanctioned in the latest round by the OFAC.
Future Oasis, which was incorporated in 2022, counts British Virgin Island-registered Future King as its sole shareholder, with Hu believed to be the ultimate owner of the BVI firm. This complex web of entities and aliases highlights the challenges authorities face in tracking and dismantling such networks. Notably, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) reported on June 22 that Hu was arrested in Japan.
Together with Kyodo News, OCCRP reported that he was arrested on suspicions of filing a fraudulent change-of-address notification, which violates laws against using false electronic official records. This arrest, while related to a specific legal issue, adds another layer to the ongoing investigations into Hu’s activities. Qiu served as the director of a now-defunct Singapore management consultancy firm, Fly the Sky International Management, a detail that may offer insights into the operational scope of the individuals and entities under investigation.
The fact that these men are being investigated for alleged money laundering offences linked to the Prince Group suggests a deep and potentially extensive network of financial crimes that authorities are working to uncover and dismantle. For all the noise surrounding these investigations, the salient point remains the significant assets that have been seized so far.
Police said assets held across Hu’s bank and securities accounts in Singapore were seized in January 2026, a move that indicates the seriousness of the allegations against him and the extent of the financial trail being pursued. As the investigation continues, it would seem that the focus on tracing and seizing assets will remain a key strategy for authorities seeking to disrupt and dismantle these alleged criminal networks.
Looking forward, what remains to be seen is how these investigations will unfold and what further actions might be taken against Hu, Qiu, and any other individuals or entities linked to the Prince Group. The international cooperation evident in the sanctions and arrests to date suggests a concerted effort to tackle the group’s alleged criminal activities, and it will be important to watch for any developments that might shed more light on the scope and nature of these operations.
