By Low De Wei
Dec 18, 2025 (Bloomberg) —
Singapore police have arrested a man sanctioned by the US who operated a superyacht for the person believed to be behind one of the largest scam networks in Asia.
Nigel Tang Wan Bao Nabil was detained on December 11 after returning to Singapore, according to a police statement made on Thursday in response to a Bloomberg News inquiry. He is currently out on bail, as reported by sources who wished to remain anonymous.
Tang is being investigated for his suspected involvement in money laundering activities connected to Chen Zhi and his affiliated companies, according to the Singapore police statement.
US authorities have indicted Chen, a China-born Cambodian citizen, accusing him of leading a transnational criminal operation that ran scam compounds using forced labor. Prosecutors claim that Chen and his Prince Holding Group defrauded victims of online "pig butchering" schemes in the United States and other countries, laundering billions of dollars in dirty money. The US has stated that Chen, 38, is currently “at large.”
Tang, 32, is one of three Singaporeans sanctioned by the US in October because of their links to Chen, the founder and chairman of Prince, a Cambodian conglomerate.
Tang was the captain of a superyacht named NONNI II, owned by Chen, and is involved in the management of a Singapore-registered company called Warpcapital Yacht Management Pte. According to earlier reports, Chen and his associates frequently hosted parties on the 53-meter (174-foot) superyacht.
Additionally, Tang is the operations head at Capital Zone Warehousing Pte, a Chen-controlled firm that managed a tax-exempt warehouse for imported alcohol and tobacco products.
Tang has not responded to requests for comment. Prince has denied the allegations of scamming.
Since the US announced its case against Chen and Prince, local and international authorities have increased their investigations into the group’s activities. In late October, Singapore police reported seizing or blocking the sale of assets worth over S$150 million ($116 million) linked to Chen and his associates, including properties, bank accounts, liquor, vehicles, and a yacht. At that time, police stated that Chen and his known associates were not in Singapore.
Among the seized assets were at least 15 bank accounts, per a court document reviewed by Bloomberg News.
Four companies under Chen's control, including his family office and Capital Zone Warehousing, applied to a local court last month for limited access to some frozen accounts to pay salaries for past and present employees and cover legal expenses. The application is being driven by Karen Chen Xiuling, another sanctioned individual who is currently traveling in Cambodia.
The firms' legal representation argued they face “serious consequences” if they cannot access funds to meet their contractual and legal commitments. They claimed they need to pay overdue rent despite being evicted and owe wages to all former employees. Only two staff members remain, including Karen Chen.
Clarence Lun Yaodong, a lawyer for the firms and Karen Chen, stated that a court has reviewed the application and will make a decision.
Malaysia’s largest bank, Malayan Banking Bhd, along with UK-based Revolut Ltd., held more than $3.2 million for companies tied to Chen and his associates, according to a separate filing from prosecutors.
The involved companies also had accounts at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. in Singapore and Malaysia’s RHB Bank Bhd., both of which were seized, as noted in the affidavit supporting the application. Additionally, Chen’s businesses previously held accounts with Malaysia’s CIMB Group Holdings Bhd, which have since been closed.
OCBC declined to comment, while RHB stated it could not comment due to ongoing police investigations. CIMB’s Singapore division also refrained from commenting on any individuals or entities. Revolut previously indicated it could not provide further details on a matter currently in court. Maybank did not respond to the request for comment.
Singapore prosecutors have opposed the request to unfreeze the funds, stating that the money is “suspected tainted properties” related to potential criminal activities.
They indicated that the local Commercial Affairs Department, the police’s unit for white-collar crimes, is investigating Chen, his main associates, and related companies. They added that Karen Chen and Alan Yeo, another sanctioned Singapore citizen and CEO of the family office, did not respond to requests for interviews from the department.