Singapore arrests Dickson Yeo, who spied for China in US, after he returns to city state

Yeo returned after a 14-month jail sentence in the US for providing China classified information by using his US-based political consultancy as a front

The Internal Security Department says it will ‘interview Yeo to establish if he had engaged in activities prejudicial to Singapore’s security’

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Singaporean Dickson Yeo met agents in China dozens of times and was given special treatment when he travelled to China. Photo: Facebook

Published: 1:23pm, 30 Dec 2020Updated: 9:04pm, 30 Dec 2020

Dickson Yeo, the Singaporean who was jailed in the United States for spying for China earlier this year, has been arrested under the city state’s Internal Security Act after serving out his US sentence.

He returned to Singapore on Wednesday, the Internal Security Department (ISD) said in a statement on the same day, adding it would “interview Yeo to establish if he had engaged in activities prejudicial to Singapore’s security”.

“Singapore will not allow our nationals to be subverted or used by any foreign actors for activities prejudicial to our security and national interests,” the department said.

“The Government takes a very serious view of any Singaporean who enters into a clandestine relationship with a foreign government and engages in espionage or subversive activities at the behest of the foreign power. We will deal firmly with such individuals in accordance with our laws.”

Yeo, 39, was convicted in the US to a spying charge and had been sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment in October, having already spent 11 months behind bars. He was expected to be back in Singapore by January.

He had provided classified information to China by using his US-based political consultancy as a front for Chinese intelligence services between 2015 and 2019, according to court documents.