by Theleaders | September 4, 2026 6:34 pm
SINGAPORE, Sept 4 — China has detained 52 Singaporeans over alleged involvement in pyramid-scheme activities in Guangxi, in what could be one of the largest cases involving Singapore citizens held overseas.
The detentions were disclosed on Friday by Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and police, which said the 52 were held during a wider Chinese law-enforcement operation targeting suspected pyramid schemes and related offences, The Straits Times reported.
Chinese authorities are continuing their investigations, while Singapore police have contacted their counterparts for more information.
Singapore’s embassy in Beijing and consulate-general in Guangzhou have made three visits to all 52 detainees, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Sim Ann said.
Officials have been checking on their welfare, relaying requests and messages to families and helping with administrative matters. MFA officers are also in contact with their next of kin.
Sim, who is also Singapore’s second minister for home affairs, said she had met family members of most of those detained.
“We are doing all we can to help them through an understandably difficult time,” she said.
But she stressed that Singapore would not intervene in China’s judicial process.
“Even as we provide consular assistance to the affected Singaporeans, I would like to emphasise that the Singapore government does not interfere in the judicial process and investigations of other countries, just as we expect foreign governments to respect our laws and legal process,” Sim said.
“The Singapore government will continue to pay close attention to the case and stress that due process should be accorded to our citizens.”
Authorities have not disclosed further details about the allegations or whether Chinese or other foreign nationals were also detained.
The case comes amid a sustained crackdown by Beijing on pyramid selling and unlawful direct-selling operations.
China investigated more than 200,000 cases involving pyramid schemes and direct-selling violations between 2021 and 2025, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation.
Under Chinese criminal law, organising or leading pyramid-scheme activity can carry a prison sentence of up to five years, with longer terms possible in serious cases.
Guangxi has long been associated with pyramid-selling networks, including variants of the so-called “1040 Sunshine Project”, also known as “capital operation” and the “Nanning investment scam”.
According to Chinese court judgments and previous cases reviewed by The Straits Times, such schemes often involve recruits being brought in by friends or relatives and persuaded to pay large upfront sums into supposedly lucrative investments, with big returns promised for recruiting others.
Sim warned Singaporeans to exercise caution over business or investment schemes involving recruitment, large upfront payments or unusually high returns.
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