Man jailed for arranging fake marriage to recoup gambling debt owed to him
Lin Jun Hao found a man willing to enter into a sham marriage, and made arrangements for the union.
A 25-year-old man who assisted in arranging a fake marriage in order to recoup a gambling debt owed to him, has been sentenced to six months in jail.
Lin Jun Hao (transliterated), who was arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint, faced two charges under the Immigration Act.
According to a report by Shin Min Daily News, the court heard that in late 2021, Lin met a man named Huang Zhi Heng (transliterated).
They often played poker together, and Huang would borrow money from Lin in an attempt to recoup his losses.
One day, Huang asked Lin if he knew anyone willing to enter into a fake marriage with a Vietnamese woman. If the two parties went through with the union, Huang would be able to pay off his debts to Lin.
As he wanted to recover the money he had lent to Huang, Lin agreed to help. He found a local, identified as "Mr Liang", who was willing to take part in the scheme.
The next day, the three men met near Mr Liang's home. Lin informed Mr Liang that he would receive $2,000 after registering the marriage.
He would receive another $4,000 if the woman's Long-Term Visit Pass application was successful, in addition to a monthly payment of $1,000 after the wedding ceremony.
After Mr Liang agreed, Huang arranged for him to meet the Vietnamese woman. The couple were married on Nov 29, 2022, in a hotel room at Marina Bay Sands, with Lin acting as one of the witnesses at Huang's request.
In Dec 2022, Lin helped Mr Liang apply for a Long-Term Visit Pass for his "wife", which was approved by authorities in May 2023.
Arrested while trying to flee
When the sham marriage was uncovered, Lin attempted to leave Singapore on Dec 12, 2024. He was arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint.
The prosecution argued that Lin played a crucial role in the case, as the marriage would not have been possible without his involvement. They requested a seven-month jail sentence for Lin.
In mitigation, Lin's lawyer stated that his client was a first-time offender who cooperated with the investigation and provided information about others who were involved in the case.
The lawyer added that Lin committed the crime in his desperation to recover the gambling debt owed to him, and asked for a four-month jail term instead.
Editor's note: This story has been amended to say that Lin was arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint.