Singapore charges fifth person in Nvidia chip probe, Straits Times reports

Singapore has charged a fifth person in an investigation linked to the alleged movement of servers containing Nvidia Corp chips to Malaysia, with a 34-year-old man facing 41 charges, The Straits Times reported on Friday.

Shi Bingzhe was handed the charges on Thursday, November 12, including one count of acquiring the benefits of criminal conduct, according to the report.

The latest development expands a probe into alleged fraudulent transactions involving computer servers that may have contained Nvidia's advanced artificial intelligence chips.

Four other individuals have previously been charged in connection with the case: Singaporeans Aaron Woon Guo Jie, Alan Wei Zhaolun and Jenny Lim, along with Chinese national Li Ming.

Wei, Lim and Woon face fraud and money-laundering charges, while Li has been charged with fraud and fraudulent trading, The Straits Times reported.

Four companies allegedly linked to the export of the servers to Malaysia were also charged in July with false representation. They include Aperia International, A-Speed Infotech and Aperia Cloud Services (II), collectively known as the Aperia Group, as well as Luxuriate Your Life.

The case emerged after a U.S. investigation into whether Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek had circumvented American restrictions on advanced Nvidia chips by purchasing them through third parties in other countries, including Singapore.

Singapore police previously issued a prohibition of disposal order against a good class bungalow valued at about S$55 million in connection with the investigation and seized about S$1 million from bank accounts linked to the probe, according to The Straits Times.

The scrutiny has also intensified around Singapore's role in Nvidia's global supply chain. The chipmaker's latest financial results showed that 22% of its third-quarter billings were to Singapore, making it its largest market after the United States, the report said.