Singapore police have seized a luxury home valued at 55 million Singapore dollars (£32 million) as part of an investigation into the alleged illegal trade in servers containing advanced Nvidia artificial intelligence chips.
Authorities said the property, located in an affluent area close to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, was allegedly purchased partly with proceeds from offences linked to the suspected movement of restricted technology. Police said at least two-thirds of the purchase price was believed to have been funded by illicit earnings.
The case forms part of a wider investigation into the alleged procurement and shipment of servers fitted with high-end Nvidia chips, which have been subject to US export controls because of concerns over their potential use in advanced computing and military applications.
Police said an order had been placed on the property to prevent it from being sold while the investigation continues. Around one million Singapore dollars in bank accounts has also been seized, according to the authorities.
The individual linked to the purchase, identified by police as Wei Zhaolun, also known as Alan Wei, is expected to face a money laundering charge. Police allege he used about 38 million Singapore dollars in criminal proceeds to help fund the acquisition of the house.
Wei is the chief executive of Aperia Group, a Singapore-based business that sells servers and other technology hardware to corporate customers. Companies under the Aperia Group are also among the corporate entities facing charges in connection with the investigation.
Singapore police said four people, including Wei, have been accused since February 2025 of fraud and other alleged offences linked to the case. The individuals are alleged to have placed orders for servers from international suppliers while claiming the equipment would be used by companies they worked for.
Authorities have not stated where the servers were ultimately shipped. Police said the servers were bought from three suppliers: Dell, Super Micro Computer and Asus.
The four individuals face multiple charges. If convicted of fraud, they could face jail terms of up to 20 years under Singapore law.
Two Singapore-based technology companies, Luxuriate Your Life and three firms under the Aperia Group, also face charges. Police said this was the first time corporate entities had been prosecuted as part of these investigations.
The case comes amid heightened scrutiny of Singapore’s role in global technology supply chains. The US Department of Justice has previously described Singapore as a key transit point used to obscure shipments of restricted technology to China.
Washington imposed restrictions in 2022 on the export of some advanced Nvidia chips, citing concerns that the technology could be used by China’s military. The rules affected chips used in artificial intelligence systems and high performance computing, making enforcement a significant issue for manufacturers, distributors and trading hubs.
Singapore, one of Asia’s main commercial and logistics centres, has said servers containing chips covered by US export controls were believed to have been shipped through the city-state. The latest action indicates that authorities are seeking to show closer oversight of transactions involving sensitive technology.
The global demand for advanced AI chips has increased sharply as companies invest in artificial intelligence infrastructure. That demand has also raised concerns among regulators about diversion through intermediaries, particularly where products can be incorporated into servers and moved through international supply chains.
Police said Singapore maintains a “zero-tolerance” approach towards such offences and would act against anyone who breaks the country’s laws. They said enforcement was necessary to protect Singapore’s integrity as a trusted global business hub.
The US has since approved the sale of some Nvidia semiconductors to China under certain conditions, but controls remain a central issue in the technology relationship between Washington and Beijing. The Singapore investigation remains ongoing, with the seized property and bank funds now subject to legal proceedings as authorities pursue the alleged money laundering and fraud offences.
