Latest news with #AaronWoonGuoJie
Mint
07-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Singapore case against three on AI chip fraud charges adjourned until Aug 22
(Corrects June 27 story to remove reference to DeepSeek and transfer of chips to China in paragraph 1 and subsequent references to DeepSeek. The media report that cited a link to DeepSeek and China as the destination was later changed, dropping the reference.) By Jun Yuan Yong SINGAPORE, June 27 (Reuters) - A Singapore court on Friday adjourned a case against three men charged with fraud by making false representations to unnamed server suppliers until Aug 22. At the hearing, the prosecution said the police would need more time to review new documents and seek responses from overseas parties in the investigations into the three men, Singaporeans Aaron Woon Guo Jie, 41, and Alan Wei Zhaolun, 49, as well as Chinese national Li Ming, 51. They were charged earlier with making false representations to the server suppliers about the end users of goods purchased in 2023 and 2024. Singapore Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said in March that the authorities had ascertained that servers involved in the fraud case may contain Nvidia chips, and that they had investigated the case independently after an anonymous tip-off. The United States banned the export of high-end chips from Nvidia to China in 2022 amid concerns that they could be used for military purposes. The servers were supplied by Dell Technologies and Super Micro Computer to Singapore-based companies before they were sent on to Malaysia, although it was not clear if Malaysia was the final destination for the servers, he said. The Singapore case is part of a broader police investigation into 22 individuals and companies suspected of false representation, amid concerns that nations like Singapore have been used in organised AI chip smuggling to China. In 2024, Singapore was Nvidia's second-biggest market after the United States, accounting for 18% of its total revenue in its latest fiscal year, a February filing by the chipmaker shows. Actual shipments to the Asian trading hub, however, contributed less than 2% of total revenue, as customers use it as a centre for invoicing sales to other countries. (Reporting by Jun Yuan Yong; Editing by David Stanway)
Arabian Post
30-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
Singapore AI‑Chip Fraud Trial Paused Until August
A Singapore court has postponed the trial of three men accused of illegally redirecting Nvidia AI chips to China until 22 August, after prosecutors stressed the need for additional time to analyse fresh documents and obtain international cooperation. The adjournment allows police to deepen their review of evidence and reach out to overseas authorities for responses. Charged with fraud, the defendants—Singaporeans Aaron Woon Guo Jie, 41, and Alan Wei Zhaolun, 49, along with Chinese national Li Ming, 51—stand accused of falsifying end‑user information to secure servers during purchases in 2023 and 2024. Those servers, allegedly equipped with high-end Nvidia chips, were then shipped via Singapore to Malaysia before possibly continuing to China. Political pressure surrounds the case, as the United States banned exports of leading-edge chips to China in 2022 over military and intelligence concerns. A senior U.S. official has asserted that DeepSeek, the Chinese AI firm implicated, supports military and intelligence operations. Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam confirmed that Singapore authorities pursued the investigation independently after an anonymous tip-off, and preliminary findings indicate the servers may indeed contain Nvidia's chips. The equipment, originally sourced from Dell Technologies and Super Micro Computer via Singapore‑based firms, was rerouted to Malaysia, though the final destination remains uncertain. ADVERTISEMENT This case forms part of a broader probe involving 22 individuals and companies alleged to have falsified end‑user data in order to bypass export restrictions. Singapore's position as a regional invoicing hub—recording 18% of Nvidia's fiscal year revenues despite accounting for less than 2% of physical shipments—underscores its vulnerability as a transit point in such schemes. Observers note that policing such complex supply chains is increasingly difficult, especially when high‑performance AI hardware carries dual-use potential with applications in advanced military or surveillance systems. Singapore's legal actions and multilateral engagements will be closely watched as the court reconvenes late in August.
Time of India
27-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Singapore case against three on AI chip fraud charges adjourned until August 22
Singapore 's case against three men linked by local media to the illegal transfer of Nvidia 's AI chips from Singapore to Chinese artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek has been adjourned until Aug 22, the court ruled on Friday. At a hearing on Friday, the prosecution said the police would need more time to review new documents and seek responses from overseas parties in the investigations into the three men, Singaporeans Aaron Woon Guo Jie, 41, and Alan Wei Zhaolun, 49, as well as the Chinese national Li Ming, 51. They were earlier charged with committing fraud by making false representations to unnamed server suppliers about the end users of goods purchased in 2023 and 2024. The United States banned the export of high-end chips from Nvidia to China in 2022 amid concerns that they could be used for military purposes. A senior US official said that AI firm DeepSeek is aiding China's military and intelligence operations, Reuters reported on Monday. Singapore Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said in March that the authorities had ascertained that servers involved in the fraud case may contain Nvidia chips, and that they had investigated the case independently after an anonymous tip-off. The servers were supplied by Dell Technologies and Super Micro Computer to Singapore-based companies before they were sent on to Malaysia, although it was not clear if Malaysia was the final destination for the servers, he said. The Singapore case is part of a broader police investigation into 22 individuals and companies suspected of false representation, amid concerns that nations like Singapore have been involved in organised AI chip smuggling to China. In 2024, Singapore was Nvidia's second-biggest market after the United States, accounting for 18% of its total revenue in its latest fiscal year, a February filing by the chipmaker shows. Actual shipments to the Asian trading hub, however, contributed less than 2% of total revenue, as customers use it as a centre for invoicing sales to other countries.
Economic Times
27-06-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Singapore case against three on AI chip fraud charges adjourned until August 22
Singapore's case against three men linked by local media to the illegal transfer of Nvidia's AI chips from Singapore to Chinese artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek has been adjourned until Aug 22, the court ruled on Friday. At a hearing on Friday, the prosecution said the police would need more time to review new documents and seek responses from overseas parties in the investigations into the three men, Singaporeans Aaron Woon Guo Jie, 41, and Alan Wei Zhaolun, 49, as well as the Chinese national Li Ming, 51. They were earlier charged with committing fraud by making false representations to unnamed server suppliers about the end users of goods purchased in 2023 and 2024. The United States banned the export of high-end chips from Nvidia to China in 2022 amid concerns that they could be used for military purposes. A senior US official said that AI firm DeepSeek is aiding China's military and intelligence operations, Reuters reported on Monday. Singapore Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said in March that the authorities had ascertained that servers involved in the fraud case may contain Nvidia chips, and that they had investigated the case independently after an anonymous tip-off. The servers were supplied by Dell Technologies and Super Micro Computer to Singapore-based companies before they were sent on to Malaysia, although it was not clear if Malaysia was the final destination for the servers, he said. The Singapore case is part of a broader police investigation into 22 individuals and companies suspected of false representation, amid concerns that nations like Singapore have been involved in organised AI chip smuggling to China. In 2024, Singapore was Nvidia's second-biggest market after the United States, accounting for 18% of its total revenue in its latest fiscal year, a February filing by the chipmaker shows. Actual shipments to the Asian trading hub, however, contributed less than 2% of total revenue, as customers use it as a centre for invoicing sales to other countries. (Reporting by Jun Yuan Yong; Editing by David Stanway)
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Police bust ring smuggling Nvidia GPUs to China-based DeepSeek: Report
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Singapore Police Force have charged three men with fraud in a case involving allegedly illegal re-export of Nvidia GPUs to Chinese AI company DeepSeek, bypassing U.S. trade restrictions, reports ChannelNewsAsia. The police and customs authorities raided 22 locations, arrested nine individuals, and seized documents and electronic records, reports Reuters. When Singapore suddenly became Nvidia's second largest geographical source of revenue in 2024, many suspected that this happened because Nvidia's GPUs were illegally re-exported from Singapore to China. Nvidia denied all accusations saying that billing locations do not represent actual destination of GPUs. Still, the U.S. Commerce Department started investigation whether DeepSeek has acquired restricted American GPUs to train its AI models. "Customers use Singapore to centralize invoicing while our products are almost always shipped elsewhere," a statement by Nvidia reads. "Shipments to Singapore were less than 2% of fiscal year 2025 total revenue." However, it looks like the problem with smuggling high-performance Nvidia GPUs from Singapore to China exists and intermediaries in Singapore helped smuggle Nvidia GPUs for AI and HPC to China in violation of U.S. export laws. The accused include Singaporeans Aaron Woon Guo Jie, 41, and Alan Wei Zhaolun, 49. Prosecutors allege that in 2024, they conspired to deceive a server supplier by falsely claiming the equipment would not be resold to unauthorized parties. A third suspect, Li Ming, 51, a Chinese national, faces separate charges related to a similar scheme in 2023. Authorities claim he misrepresented the intended recipient of hardware, stating it was meant for a Singapore-based company, Luxuriate Your Life. If convicted, the suspects could face up to 20 years in prison, fines, or both. Authorities have not disclosed details about other arrested individuals or whether additional charges will be filed. While the arrests clearly indicate the involvement of Singapore-based groups in smuggling restricted high-performance Nvidia GPUs to China, the extent of their operations are yet to be determined. Companies like DeepSeek need tens of thousands of Nvidia Hopper GPUs (H100, H20, H800) to train its large-language models. However, smaller research institutions run smaller clusters containing tens or hundreds of such processors. Last week Singapore's government emphasized that while it is not legally bound to enforce unilateral export restrictions imposed by other nations, it expects businesses operating within its borders to comply with such regulations where applicable. Authorities have reiterated that the country does not tolerate attempts to exploit its trade networks to circumvent international controls.
