Chinese authorities haves arrested 52 Singaporeans in Guangxi, China, after a law enforcement operation against pyramid scheme activities and related offences, Singapore's second minister for foreign affairs said on Friday.
Second Minister Sim Ann said the foreign affairs ministry and the Singapore police are engaging with Chinese authorities to obtain further information on the cases.
Singapore's government does not interfere in the judicial process and investigations of other countries but is providing consular assistance to the 52 people arrested, she said.
Singapore's embassy in Beijing and Consulate-General in Guangzhou have made three visits to the detainees to check on their well-being and provide consular assistance, she said, including conveying requests from the detainees and messages from their families and facilitating administrative matters.
"On behalf of the police, I wish to reiterate that Singaporeans should exercise caution when considering business or investment schemes, whether overseas or local. This is especially so for schemes involving the recruitment of participants, upfront payment of large sums of money, or promises of unusually high returns," said Sim.
She did not give further details about the alleged offences.
“The police investigate and deal with cases involving criminal cases committed by foreign nationals in China in accordance with the law, while fully safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of those involved,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular news conference on Friday.
(Reporting by Xinghui Kok in Singapore and Joe Cash in Beijing; Editing by John Mair)
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