SG is smuggling hub

[LITTLEREDDOT]

US probing whether DeepSeek got Nvidia AI chips through Singapore, other countries: Source​

China’s DeepSeek last week launched a free assistant it says uses less data at a fraction of the cost of US models.PHOTO: REUTERS

Jan 31, 2025

NEW YORK – The US Commerce Department is looking into whether DeepSeek – the Chinese company whose AI model’s performance rocked the tech world – has been using US chips that are not allowed to be shipped to China, a person familiar with the matter said.

China’s DeepSeek last week launched a free assistant it says uses less data at a fraction of the cost of US models.

Within days, it became the most downloaded app in Apple’s App Store and stirred concerns about the United States’ lead in artificial intelligence, sparking a rout that wiped around US$1 trillion (S$1.35 trillion) off US technology stocks.

Current restrictions on Nvidia AI processors are meant to stop its most sophisticated chips from reaching China.

Organised AI chip smuggling to China has been tracked out of countries including Malaysia, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, the source said.

The Commerce Department and DeepSeek did not immediately return requests for comment.

A Nvidia spokesman said its revenue from Singapore – which accounts for about 20 per cent of its total sales – does not suggest a diversion to China, according to a report in Investing.com on Nov 29.


Nvidia’s public filings report on the “bill to” locations of their customers, not the “ship to” locations. This implies that the company’s revenue figures are based on where their customers are billed, not where the products are ultimately shipped to, the spokesman said.

The spokesperson added that many of Nvidia’s customers have business entities in Singapore, which they use for products intended for the US and the West. This practice is common among companies operating in multiple countries and does not necessarily indicate that the products are being shipped to Singapore.

Nvidia also said it insists its business partners adhere to all relevant laws and will take appropriate action if it receives any information suggesting otherwise.

DeepSeek has said it used Nvidia’s H800 chips, which it could have legally purchased in 2023. Reuters could not determine whether DeepSeek has used other controlled chips that are not allowed to be shipped to China.

DeepSeek also apparently has Nvidia’s less powerful H20s, which can still lawfully be shipped to China. The US considered controlling them under the Biden administration and newly appointed Trump officials are discussing that as well.

The chief executive of AI company Anthropic, Mr Dario Amodei, said earlier this week, “it appears that a substantial fraction of DeepSeek‘s AI chip fleet consists of chips that haven’t been banned (but should be), chips that were shipped before they were banned; and some that seem very likely to have been smuggled”.

Two US lawmakers, who called on the Trump administration to curb exports of Nvidia’s H20 chips and those of similar sophistication, also urged tightening controls on shipments through third countries that pose a high risk of diversion, naming Singapore as an example.

In a letter to National Security Adviser Mike Waltz on Jan 29, Republican John Moolenaar and Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi, who lead the House of Representatives Select Committee on China, said: “Countries like Singapore should be subject to strict licensing requirements absent a willingness to crack down on PRC transshipment through their territory.” REUTERS

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

US probe into S’pore shows frustration over inadequacy of chip curbs on China​

The US is probing whether Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek had circumvented US curbs on advanced Nvidia chips by buying them from firms in other countries.PHOTO: REUTERS
Yew Lun Tian and Ovais Subhani
Jan 31, 2025, 11:50 PM

Singapore has come under the spotlight in a US investigation into whether Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up DeepSeek had circumvented US restrictions on advanced Nvidia chips by buying them from companies in other countries.

Analysts expect such scrutiny to intensify as the US-China AI race heats up and warn of US overreach in restricting countries’ access to chips and what they can do with the legally bought chips.

Since 2022, the US has progressively expanded the types of chips that cannot be sold to China and the geographical scope of the trade restrictions to cover more countries, in an attempt to slow down China’s application of AI to defence and other strategic industries.

Hangzhou-based DeepSeek’s release in January of its latest AI model R1 – touted to be as good as the ones by Google and OpenAI yet produced at a fraction of their costs – was a wake-up call to the US that its export controls had not worked as well as it had hoped, industry observers say.

US officials are investigating whether DeepSeek used third parties in Singapore and other countries to acquire advanced Nvidia chips that the US has banned from sale to China, Bloomberg and Reuters reported on Jan 31, citing people familiar with the matter.

Industry watchers tell The Straits Times that Chinese tech companies could have acquired such chips through a combination of methods such as by procuring them through middlemen, or by training their models at data centres rented in other countries besides Singapore.

These data centres use legally obtained Nvidia chips.

ST has contacted Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry for comments.

Mr Howard Lutnick, who is expected to enforce chip trade restrictions as the incoming US Commerce Secretary, said on Jan 29 that DeepSeek had “found their ways around” US export controls on Nvidia chips.

At the same time, Singapore was singled out by the top Democratic and Republican lawmakers on a China-focused panel in the US House of Representatives in a Jan 29 letter on the chip issue to National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.

“Countries like Singapore should be subject to strict licensing requirements absent a willingness to crack down” on shipments to China, Representatives John Moolenaar and Raja Krishnamoorthi wrote.

Nvidia’s latest financial results showed that 22 per cent of its third-quarter billings were to Singapore.

This makes the Republic the biggest buyer of its chips after the US and has fuelled speculation that some of these chips were somehow swept up by Chinese companies.

An Nvidia spokesperson clarified on Jan 29 that its revenue from Singapore does not suggest a diversion of the chips to China.

The spokesperson added that while the transactions were billed to customers in Singapore, the chips were mostly shipped to places other than Singapore and “shipments to Singapore were insignificant”.

Ms Selena Ling, chief economist at OCBC Bank, said: “Singapore is a regional financial and trading hub with significant high-end manufacturing investments. Since many multinational corporations have their regional headquarters or treasury centres here, it is not inconceivable that billings are done here.”

Singapore’s semiconductor sector is its largest manufacturing segment, contributing about 8 per cent to the Republic’s gross domestic product and providing jobs to tens of thousands of Singaporeans.

Much is at stake if the US were to clamp down on Singapore’s access to chips.

“The US is, of course, free to scrutinise anyone it wishes. Singapore’s practice has always been scrupulously within international law. But the extent and reach of this current scrutiny suggests that no one, no matter how careful, will be free from US suspicion,” said Professor Danny Quah, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

“There is a creeping reach here, and a slippery slope to extending legality considerations to all kinds of controls... and will end with the US (building) a fortress mentality, against everyone else in the world,” he said.

Mr Alex Capri, a senior lecturer at NUS Business School, explained the concerns viewed from the US perspective.

“The influx of Nvidia chips into Singapore has spawned a thriving black market,” he said.

He added that, in 2024, an Nvidia H100 chip – the most advanced graphics processing unit (GPU) chip made by Nvidia for AI applications – on the black market could sell for $100,000, three to four times the normal rate.

He said that these chips are bought from a network of middlemen functioning as programmers, app developers, researchers and gamers. Although the chips are bought in small numbers, they form a steady supply as an aggregate.

Besides buying chips through third parties, Chinese tech companies can also get around US export controls by renting cloud computing space and data centres in other countries, said Mr Capri, who is the author of the book Techno-Nationalism: How It’s Reshaping Trade, Geopolitics And Society.

He pointed out that Chinese companies could be doing the training of their AI models through corporate entities, research institutions and universities in other countries, not just in Singapore.

“This allows them to indirectly train and develop their own cognitive AI models by using someone else’s legally obtained Nvidia chips,” he said.

Singapore is a hub for data centres. Major operators include Singtel, Equinix, Meta, Google and Amazon Web Services.

The data centres generally provide a host of legitimate services, which are in line with the Singapore Government’s push to develop a high-tech manufacturing, financial and logistics hub.

Dr Shashi Jayakumar, executive director of consulting firm SJK Geostrategic Advisory, expects the US to impose further controls on countries, not just on Singapore, in a move to tighten what the US sees as existing loopholes.

He said the US could tier such controls, like the recently unveiled AI Diffusion Framework, in which nations perceived as trustworthy are restricted the least in their access to US advanced AI chips.

He also sounded a note of caution on the US possibly viewing Singapore as a conduit for circumventing export controls.

“If there is a genuine national security concern, facts and details should be provided. This is better than grandstanding,” he said.

​

 

[syed putra]

Since a long long time ago. From cigarettes to refined petroleum products to liquor..
Now it seems it's going upmarket.

In Nvidia case, sinkie putting blame on jiu hu.

 

[Sikodolaukazzz]

Watch it the Tarrif man is cuming

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Nvidia expected to abide by US curbs, S’pore laws, says MTI in reply to queries on DeepSeek’s chips​

Nvidia has stated that “there is no reason to believe that DeepSeek obtained any export-controlled products from Singapore”.PHOTO: AFP
Yew Lun Tian
Feb 01, 2025

Singapore expects Nvidia to comply with United States export controls and Singapore’s laws, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has said in response to queries about Chinese start-up DeepSeek possibly acquiring advanced Nvidia chips through intermediaries in Singapore.

In a statement on Feb 1, the ministry noted that Nvidia, a leading AI (artificial intelligence) chip designer, has stated that “there is no reason to believe that DeepSeek obtained any export-controlled products from Singapore”.

“We expect US companies, like Nvidia, to comply with US export controls and our domestic legislation. Our Customs and law enforcement agencies will continue to work closely with their US counterparts,” it said.

“We have always upheld the rule of law and acted decisively and firmly against individuals and companies that flout the rules,” the ministry added.

Singapore has come under the spotlight in a US investigation into whether DeepSeek, whose AI model’s performance has made headlines worldwide, had circumvented US restrictions on advanced Nvidia chips by buying them from third parties in other countries, including Singapore.

US lawmakers had singled out the Republic in a letter urging National Security Adviser Mike Waltz to subject countries to strict licensing requirements if they were not willing to crack down on shipments to China.

The scrutiny over Singapore was heightened after Nvidia’s latest financial results showed that 22 per cent of its third-quarter billings were to the country, making the Republic the biggest buyer of its chips after the US.

A spokesperson for Nvidia said on Jan 29 that the company’s revenue associated with Singapore “does not indicate diversion to China”.

“Our public filings report ‘bill to’ not ‘ship to’ locations of our customers,” the spokesperson said.

“Many of our customers have business entities in Singapore and use those entities for products destined for the US and the West. We insist that our partners comply with all applicable laws, and if we receive any information to the contrary, we act accordingly.”

MTI noted in its statement that Nvidia has stated in its filing that “most shipments associated with Singapore revenue were to locations other than Singapore, and shipments to Singapore were insignificant”.

It said: “Singapore is an international business hub. Major US and European companies have significant operations here. Nvidia has explained that many of these customers use their business entities in Singapore to purchase chips for products destined for the US and other Western countries.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Nvidia’s physical shipments to Singapore make up less than 1% of revenue: Tan See Leng​

Singapore had come under the spotlight in a US investigation into whether Chinese start-up DeepSeek had circumvented US restrictions on advanced Nvidia chips by using third parties in other countries.PHOTO: REUTERS

Hariz Baharudin
Feb 18, 2025

SINGAPORE – Products sold by Nvidia to Singapore that were physically delivered here represent less than 1 per cent of the chipmaker’s overall revenue.

And the remainder of Nvidia’s revenue billed to business entities in Singapore did not involve physical shipments into the country.

Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng said this in Parliament on Feb 18.

He was responding to Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang), Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC) and Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC). They had asked questions about US export controls and Singapore’s approach to such measures.

Dr Tan said Nvidia’s products are mainly deployed here for major enterprises and the Government.

Singapore had come under the spotlight in a US investigation into whether Chinese start-up DeepSeek had circumvented US restrictions on advanced Nvidia chips by buying them from third parties in other countries, including the Republic.

In January, DeepSeek launched a free artificial intelligence (AI) assistant at a fraction of the cost of US models as it uses less data.

Within days, it became the most downloaded app in Apple’s App Store and stirred concerns about the US’ lead in AI, sparking a rout that wiped around US$1 trillion (S$1.34 trillion) off the value of US technology stocks.

US lawmakers had in January singled out Singapore in a letter urging National Security Adviser Mike Waltz to subject countries to strict licensing requirements if they were not willing to crack down on shipments to China.

The scrutiny of Singapore was heightened after Nvidia’s latest financial results showed that 22 per cent of its third-quarter billings were to the Republic, making it the biggest buyer of its chips after the US.

Dr Tan told the House that Singapore is a stable, trusted, reliable and well-connected international business hub.

And its economic competitiveness is based on its commitment to the rule of law, zero tolerance for corruption, transparent regulations and an open, inclusive business environment.

Said Dr Tan: “If a company in Singapore is engaged in deceptive or dishonest practices to evade export controls that it is subject to, we will investigate, and we will take the appropriate action in accordance with Singapore laws.

“It is in our national interest to secure access to leading-edge technology and to maintain the integrity of our business environment.”

Within Singapore, the transfer and brokering of strategic goods and technology is governed by the Strategic Goods (Control) Act, the minister said.

This, he noted, is a robust framework that is aligned with major multilateral export control regimes, including those imposed by the UN Security Council.

Outside such regimes, countries sometimes also impose unilateral export controls on specific items, and Dr Tan said that the US’ export controls on advanced semiconductor chips are one example.

Singapore expects companies to consider foreign export regulations in their international business activities, even if not legally obligated, and to conduct transactions transparently, he noted.

“At the operational level, Singapore Customs works closely with its foreign counterparts, including those from the US, to address their concerns and to facilitate their investigations where appropriate, and to the extent where our law permits,” said Dr Tan.

“It is important to emphasise that this open, inclusive and transparent regulatory regime applies to all our trading partners.”

Responding to supplementary questions from Associate Professor Lim about the role of foreign policy in Singapore’s trade decisions, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Singapore is not legally obliged to enforce the unilateral export measures of countries around the world.

“But we will enforce the multilateral agreed-upon export control regimes,” he said.

Dr Balakrishnan emphasised that it is not in Singapore’s national interest to be exploited, stressing that the Republic will not allow itself to be used.

Companies will not be allowed to use their links with Singapore to evade unilateral export control measures that apply to them, he said.

He added: “We will not allow them to use that association with us to engage in deceptive or evasive measures to avoid unilateral export measures that apply to them.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

3 men charged with fraud in case allegedly linked to Nvidia chips​

The trio’s cases have been adjourned to March 7.PHOTO: AFP

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Feb 27, 2025

SINGAPORE - Three men were charged with fraud on Feb 27 in a case allegedly linked to chipmaker Nvidia.

This was after Singapore came under the spotlight in a US investigation into whether Chinese start-up DeepSeek had circumvented US restrictions on advanced Nvidia chips by buying them from third parties in other countries, including the Republic.

The men are Singaporeans Aaron Woon Guo Jie, 41, and Alan Wei Zhaolun, 49, and Chinese national Li Ming, 51.

Li allegedly committed fraud in 2023 on an unnamed supplier of servers, identified in court documents as “the items”.

He is accused of making a false representation that a company called Luxuriate Your Life would be the end user of the items.

Wei and Woon are accused of working together in 2024 to commit fraud on an unnamed supplier of servers, also referred to in court documents as “the items”.

The two men allegedly made a false representation that the items would not be transferred to a person other than the authorised ultimate consignee of end users.

The trio’s cases have been adjourned to March 7.

In January, DeepSeek launched a free artificial intelligence (AI) assistant at a fraction of the cost of US models as it uses less data.

Within days, it became the most downloaded app in Apple’s App Store and stirred concerns about the US’ lead in AI, sparking a rout that wiped around US$1 trillion (S$1.34 trillion) off the value of US technology stocks.

US lawmakers had in January singled out Singapore in a letter urging National Security Adviser Mike Waltz to subject countries to strict licensing requirements if they were not willing to crack down on shipments to China.

The scrutiny of Singapore was heightened after Nvidia’s latest financial results showed that 22 per cent of its third-quarter billings were to the Republic, making it the biggest buyer of its chips after the US.

On Feb 18, Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng told Parliament that products sold by Nvidia to Singapore that were physically delivered here represent less than 1 per cent of the chipmaker’s overall revenue.

Dr Tan also said that the remainder of Nvidia’s revenue billed to business entities in Singapore did not involve physical shipments into the country.

Responding to questions from Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang), Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC) and Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC), Dr Tan also said that Nvidia’s products are mainly deployed here for major enterprises and the Government.

Dr Tan added: “If a company in Singapore is engaged in deceptive or dishonest practices to evade export controls that it is subject to, we will investigate, and we will take the appropriate action in accordance with Singapore laws.

“It is in our national interest to secure access to leading-edge technology and to maintain the integrity of our business environment.”

Responding to supplementary questions from Associate Professor Lim about the role of foreign policy in Singapore’s trade decisions, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Singapore is not legally obliged to enforce the unilateral export measures of countries around the world.

“But we will enforce the multilateral agreed-upon export control regimes,” he said.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Servers likely containing Nvidia chips exported to Malaysia may have been bound elsewhere: Shanmugam​

Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said the servers likely contained items subjected to export controls by the US.ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Andrew Wong
Mar 03, 2025

SINGAPORE – An anonymous tip-off about computer servers that might contain Nvidia chips being exported to Malaysia, and possibly to an unknown final destination, sparked a police investigation.

This alert did not come from any country or sovereign entity, but the claim was serious enough to get the Singapore authorities to launch an independent investigation, said Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam at a media briefing on March 3 at the Treasury.

Mr Shanmugam said preliminary investigations showed servers from US firms Dell and Supermicro were sent to Singapore-based companies. The servers were then exported to Malaysia.

He said these servers likely contained items subject to export controls by the US.

But whether they ended up in Malaysia, or another country, is being looked into, he added.

He was referring to a case allegedly linked to chipmaker Nvidia, which saw three men charged with fraud on Feb 27.

Mr Shanmugam said: “The question is whether Malaysia was a final destination or, from Malaysia, it went to somewhere else, which we do not know for certain at this point.

“But we assess that there may have been false representation on the final destination of the servers.”

He said that if there were false representations within Singapore about the servers’ final destination, then an offence under Singapore laws has been committed.

He added that Singapore has contacted Malaysia and the US for more information.

The Straits Times asked if the case was linked to questions posed surrounding Singapore’s role in Nvidia’s sales that were addressed in Parliament on Feb 18 following the release of the company’s latest financial report.

Mr Shanmugam said he could not reveal too much as investigations are ongoing.

But he said: “We assess that the servers may contain Nvidia chips. I think that’s the highest I can put it at, at this point.”

Mr Shanmugam later said: “We will always be happy to work with any country that discloses information to us which suggests that our laws have been breached, and we will take firm and decisive action.”

The US is looking into the potential circumvention of its export controls for advanced Nvidia chips, after China’s artificial intelligence (AI) firm DeepSeek launched a free AI tool in January that wiped around US$1 trillion (S$1.35 trillion) off the value of US tech stocks.

This came despite the tight restrictions that the US had imposed on semiconductor firms’ exports to China.

Lawmakers in the US had singled out Singapore in a letter in January urging National Security Adviser Mike Waltz to subject countries to strict licensing requirements if they were not willing to crack down on shipments to China.

On Feb 27, three men were each handed one count of fraud.

Singaporeans Aaron Woon Guo Jie, 41, and Alan Wei Zhaolun, 49, and Chinese national Li Ming, 51, had allegedly committed the offences between 2023 and 2024.

Mr Shanmugam said Singapore will remain an open and inclusive business hub, but local laws must be respected.

He added: “We welcome reputable businesses to operate from here, to be part of our business environment, and to contribute to our growth.

“But we will not tolerate individuals and companies violating our laws, or taking advantage of their association with Singapore to circumvent export controls of other countries.”

The men who were charged on Feb 27 face a jail term of up to 20 years, a fine, or both.

According to court documents, Chinese national Li had allegedly committed fraud in 2023 against an unnamed supplier of servers by lying that the procured servers would be going to a company called Luxuriate Your Life.

Business records in Singapore show the company was incorporated in January 2021.

An archived page of the company’s website, which has since been taken down, indicates it dabbled in network equipment sales, internet data centres, network communications and computing equipment.

Wei and Woon were charged with conspiring to commit fraud against another unnamed supplier of servers by lying about where the procured servers would end up.

Business records show Wei listed as the director of several firms in Singapore, including Achieva Tech Allianz, Altrics Global Services, Aperia Cloud Services and its subsidiaries, A-Speed Infotech and Aurica.

Woon is listed as the director of car dealership Ace Autohaus. He also owns pet food shop Dane’s Cosmo.

All three will return to the State Courts on March 7.

Nvidia’s latest financial results showed that 22 per cent of its third-quarter billings were to Singapore, making the Republic the biggest buyer of its chips after the US.

On Feb 18, Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng told Parliament that products sold by Nvidia to Singapore that were physically delivered here represent less than 1 per cent of the chipmaker’s overall revenue.

He added that the remainder of Nvidia’s revenue billed to business entities in Singapore did not involve physical shipments into the country.

He said that Nvidia’s products are mainly deployed here for major enterprises and the Government.

Dr Tan added: “If a company in Singapore is engaged in deceptive or dishonest practices to evade export controls that it is subject to, we will investigate, and we will take the appropriate action in accordance with Singapore laws.

“It is in our national interest to secure access to leading-edge technology and to maintain the integrity of our business environment.”

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said during the same Parliament session that Singapore was not legally obliged to enforce the unilateral export measures of countries around the world.

“But we will enforce the multilateral agreed-upon export control regimes,” he added.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

EU sanctions second S’pore firm over alleged links to Russia’s military efforts​

Business records show Splendent Technologies is registered to a unit in King George’s Building in Kallang.ST PHOTO: ANDREW JAMES WONG
Andrew Wong
Mar 04, 2025

SINGAPORE – A second company based in Singapore has been sanctioned by the European Union over its alleged links to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Splendent Technologies, which is headquartered in Singapore and has a presence in Hong Kong, is described as a wholesale dealer of electronic components.

In a report in February, the EU listed dozens of firms it sanctioned after accusing them of being part of Russia’s military and industrial complex.

According to the report, the firms have commercial links to or are supporting Moscow’s defence and security sector by contributing towards Russia’s military and technological enhancement.

Splendent Technologies, on its website, says it had suspended quotations and business with Russia due to sanctions by the White House against the Kremlin.

The EU has imposed a range of sanctions against Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

They include economic and individual sanctions, as well as visa and diplomatic measures that EU members have to adhere to.

The EU has also established bilateral and multilateral cooperation with non-EU countries to ban the export of specific goods to Russia, and a transit ban on certain goods being exported from the EU to a non-EU country via Russian territory.

The ban covers dual-use goods as well, including drones and engines and software for drones, thermographic cameras, encryption devices and semiconductors and advanced electronics.

Splendent Technologies was added to the list on Feb 25.

In the report, the EU accused the firm and other entities on the list of supporting the technological enhancement of Moscow’s defence and security sector with dual-use goods and technology.

Splendent Technologies is the second company registered in Singapore to be sanctioned since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Deflog Technologies, a company located in Shaw Road dealing in security and optical products, including night vision goggles, was sanctioned in 2023.

Business records in Singapore show Splendent Technologies has three registered directors, comprising two Chinese nationals and a Singaporean who runs a corporate service provider (CSP) firm.

Firms registering in Singapore are required to appoint a Singaporean as director.

Splendent Technologies describes itself as a parts distributor dealing in automotive, motor control, healthcare, instrumentation and measurement, process control, and computers and peripheral equipment.

The firm, on its website, says it occupies unit 04-05 in Ang Mo Kio Techplace II.

The firm was not at the Ang Mo Kio Techplace II address listed on its website.ST PHOTO: ANDREW JAMES WONG
The Straits Times visited the address on March 4 and learnt the unit has been occupied by ASTI, a tech group servicing semiconductor firms located next door, for a number of years.

ASTI, on its website, lists its address as unit 04-06.

An employee of ASTI said the company has occupied the two units since she joined the firm four years ago. She added that she has not heard of Splendent Technologies.

Singapore business records show Splendent Technologies is registered to a unit in King George’s Building.

ST visited the address on March 4 and found that it was occupied by Singapore Millennium Bridge International, a CSP.

Mr Eugene Tan, a director of the CSP, said that Splendent Technologies is his client but added that he has not met any of its employees since the business was incorporated in 2021.

 

[birdie69]

EU sanctions second S’pore firm over alleged links to Russia’s military efforts​

Business records show Splendent Technologies is registered to a unit in King George’s Building in Kallang.ST PHOTO: ANDREW JAMES WONG
Andrew Wong
Mar 04, 2025

SINGAPORE – A second company based in Singapore has been sanctioned by the European Union over its alleged links to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Splendent Technologies, which is headquartered in Singapore and has a presence in Hong Kong, is described as a wholesale dealer of electronic components.

In a report in February, the EU listed dozens of firms it sanctioned after accusing them of being part of Russia’s military and industrial complex.

According to the report, the firms have commercial links to or are supporting Moscow’s defence and security sector by contributing towards Russia’s military and technological enhancement.

Splendent Technologies, on its website, says it had suspended quotations and business with Russia due to sanctions by the White House against the Kremlin.

The EU has imposed a range of sanctions against Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

They include economic and individual sanctions, as well as visa and diplomatic measures that EU members have to adhere to.

The EU has also established bilateral and multilateral cooperation with non-EU countries to ban the export of specific goods to Russia, and a transit ban on certain goods being exported from the EU to a non-EU country via Russian territory.

The ban covers dual-use goods as well, including drones and engines and software for drones, thermographic cameras, encryption devices and semiconductors and advanced electronics.

Splendent Technologies was added to the list on Feb 25.

In the report, the EU accused the firm and other entities on the list of supporting the technological enhancement of Moscow’s defence and security sector with dual-use goods and technology.

Splendent Technologies is the second company registered in Singapore to be sanctioned since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Deflog Technologies, a company located in Shaw Road dealing in security and optical products, including night vision goggles, was sanctioned in 2023.

Business records in Singapore show Splendent Technologies has three registered directors, comprising two Chinese nationals and a Singaporean who runs a corporate service provider (CSP) firm.

Firms registering in Singapore are required to appoint a Singaporean as director.

Splendent Technologies describes itself as a parts distributor dealing in automotive, motor control, healthcare, instrumentation and measurement, process control, and computers and peripheral equipment.

The firm, on its website, says it occupies unit 04-05 in Ang Mo Kio Techplace II.

The firm was not at the Ang Mo Kio Techplace II address listed on its website.ST PHOTO: ANDREW JAMES WONG
The Straits Times visited the address on March 4 and learnt the unit has been occupied by ASTI, a tech group servicing semiconductor firms located next door, for a number of years.

ASTI, on its website, lists its address as unit 04-06.

An employee of ASTI said the company has occupied the two units since she joined the firm four years ago. She added that she has not heard of Splendent Technologies.

Singapore business records show Splendent Technologies is registered to a unit in King George’s Building.

ST visited the address on March 4 and found that it was occupied by Singapore Millennium Bridge International, a CSP.

Mr Eugene Tan, a director of the CSP, said that Splendent Technologies is his client but added that he has not met any of its employees since the business was incorporated in 2021.

SG is financial.hub, scamming hub, money laundry hub,now smuggling hub, all types of hub...really a DEI country, lol!

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

New charges for 2 of the 3 men allegedly linked to computer servers that likely contained Nvidia chips​

Singaporeans Aaron Woon Guo Jie and Alan Wei Zhaolun were each handed a second fraud charge.PHOTO: AFP

Nadine Chua
Mar 06, 2025

SINGAPORE - Prosecutors on March 6 tabled new charges for two of the three men allegedly linked to computer servers exported to Malaysia that might contain Nvidia chips.

Singaporeans Aaron Woon Guo Jie, 40, and Alan Wei Zhaolun, 48, were each handed a second fraud charge, after the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) uncovered further evidence.

The men are accused of committing fraud on Supermicro, a US-headquartered supplier of servers, by fraudulently making a false representation that the items would not be transferred to a person other than the authorised ultimate consignee of end users.

Prosecutors said there may be other persons of interest linked to the case, adding that CAD investigators are recording statements from the individuals.

In total, investigators have seized 42 devices, comprising phones and computers. The items are currently being examined by forensic experts, said the prosecutors.

Investigators from CAD have also requested for bank statements from various financial institutions, to trace the movement of funds linked to the two men.

The offences were allegedly committed in 2024.

The case against the third man - Chinese national Li Ming, 51 - has been adjourned to an afternoon session.

The probe in Singapore came after an anonymous tip-off about computer servers that might contain Nvidia chips being exported to Malaysia, and possibly to an unknown final destination.

Preliminary investigations showed servers from US firms Dell and Supermicro, possibly embedded with Nvidia artificial intelligence (AI) chips, were sent to Singapore-based companies before they were exported to Malaysia.

Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said on March 3 the servers likely contained items subject to export controls by the US.

The US government had in 2022 imposed a number of export controls to restrict the sale of high-performance AI chips to China.

Questions were raised in the US earlier in 2025 when a Chinese start-up launched DeepSeek, an AI platform allegedly using chips from Nvidia, a leading AI chip designer in the US.

The launch of DeepSeek in January wiped around US$1 trillion (S$1.33 trillion) off the value of US tech stocks.

Authorities in the US are looking into the potential circumvention of its export controls for advanced Nvidia chips.

The chip designer released a statement to say that there was no reason to believe that DeepSeek had obtained any export-controlled products from Singapore.

The three men were first charged on Feb 27 with one count each of fraud.

Li is accused of committing fraud in 2023 on an unnamed supplier of servers, identified in court documents as “the items”.

He allegedly made a false representation that a company called Luxuriate Your Life would be the end user of the items.

Wei and Woon are accused of working together in 2024 to commit fraud on an unnamed supplier of servers, also referred to in court documents as “the items”.

The two men allegedly made a false representation that the items would not be transferred to a person other than the authorised ultimate consignee of end users.

Mr Shanmugam said authorities in Singapore are investigating if Malaysia was a final destination for the servers or if the servers went somewhere else.

He added that if there were false representations within Singapore about the servers’ final destination, then an offence under Singapore laws has been committed.

Meanwhile, Singapore has asked Malaysian and US authorities to share relevant information to assist in investigations.

Mr Shanmugam said that if the servers did contain US export-controlled items, Singapore would support US investigations, adding that the Republic has good laws to deal with the domestic situation.

The minister said that companies operating in Singapore are expected to take into account other countries’ unilateral export controls which apply to their international business activities and conduct their businesses transparently.

On Feb 18, Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng told Parliament that products sold by Nvidia to Singapore that were physically delivered here represent less than 1 per cent of the chipmaker’s overall revenue.

He said the remainder of Nvidia’s revenue billed to business entities in Singapore did not involve physical shipments into the country.

Dr Tan added that Nvidia’s products are mainly deployed here for major enterprises and the Government.

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said during the same Parliament session that Singapore was not legally obliged to enforce the unilateral export measures of countries around the world.

“But we will enforce the multilateral agreed-upon export control regimes,” he added.

Mr Shanmugam said that countries in the trade and supply chain have to work together to ensure that everything is done properly, by enforcing their domestic laws within their jurisdictions.

“As you can see, the issue is not with the law. We have the laws.

“It’s with enforcement, and we are enforcing. But where you have an international chain of events, it will not be possible for any one country to deal with this by itself,” he added.

 

[True Believer]

The SG Govt welcomes anyone waving a cheque book - money launderers and smugglers included.