A Taiwanese woman, Lin Mei, aged 43, was sentenced to 10 months’ jail on December 3, for masterminding the wrongful confinement of a female debtor in an effort to recover a loan of approximately $25,000. Lin pleaded guilty to one count of the offense. Her accomplice in the crime, Chinese national Wu Zhibing, aged 36, who was Lin’s housemate at the time, was previously sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment for his role.
The victim, a 49-year-old Singaporean woman, endured a harrowing ordeal that lasted around five hours. The wrongful confinement left her with marks on her limbs that took two months to fade, as well as facial bruises that took two weeks to clear. The court heard that the victim and Lin were acquainted through illegal gambling activities.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Darren Sim detailed the events leading up to the crime. On February 27, 2024, Lin’s housemate, Wu, informed her that he intended to return to his home country as his work permit had expired. Court documents revealed that Lin owed an undisclosed amount of money to Wu. The prosecutor stated that Lin subsequently proposed a deal to Wu: "Lin informed Wu that someone owed her $25,000 and if he helped her to teach that person a lesson, she would return Wu the money she owed him."
Taking instructions from Lin, Wu proceeded to a warehouse located in Jalan Buroh, near Jurong Port Road, where he took the precaution of covering the closed-circuit television cameras with pieces of cloth in preparation for the scheme.
The following morning, around 2 AM on February 28, 2024, Lin contacted the victim, who then went to Lin’s residence. Lin informed the victim that she intended to go to a golf course but needed to make a necessary stop at the warehouse first. At approximately 3:30 AM, the two women arrived at the warehouse, which was deliberately kept dark with no lights switched on.
Lin then instructed the victim that some money was stored in a bag inside the building and asked her to search for it. Because the warehouse was dark, the victim had to squat and feel her way around the interior. It was at this vulnerable moment, while the victim was squatting down, that Wu, lying in wait, took the victim by surprise.
DPP Sim recounted the violent initiation of the confinement: "While the victim was squatting down, Wu took the victim by surprise and covered her head with a black bag." Lin and Wu then violently grabbed the victim by her head, throat, and legs and pressed her down to the floor. The victim attempted to struggle to free herself but was overpowered and "unable to free herself." Lin and Wu proceeded to use plastic cable ties to tightly bind the victim’s hands and legs, effectively restraining her. The black bag initially covering the victim's head was later replaced with a proper blindfold, and she was forced to sit on a chair.
From about 4 AM onwards, Lin repeatedly interrogated the victim, demanding money while Wu stood by and observed the situation. Lin pressed the victim for details about the money she had received from the recent sale of her home. When the victim disclosed that she had sold the property for $300,000, Lin escalated her demands, demanding $200,000 from the victim in exchange for her release. The victim, however, pleaded that she did not have any money remaining.
The confinement lasted until approximately 5 AM, when the victim suggested that Lin contact a friend who might be able to assist with the payment. After the friend agreed to provide Lin with $30,000, Lin and Wu finally agreed to release the victim. At around 9 AM, they cut the plastic cable ties and removed the blindfold.
Before letting the victim go, Lin issued a serious threat, warning her that if she notified the police, Lin would "get people to hurt her," adding that the woman would be "as good as dead." Despite these explicit and severe threats, the victim demonstrated immense courage by proceeding to make a police report later that same day, leading to the arrest of both offenders. Court documents did not specify whether Lin ultimately received the $30,000 from the friend.
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