Singapore charges 3 men over US$18 million fake country of origin mattress scam
The men allegedly declared China-made mattresses as Singapore goods to avoid paying US anti-dumping duties
Singaporeans Loh Yew Kong, 68; Leong Yu Fong, 41; and Loh Chen Sing Darren, 37, as well as three companies – Brighture Et Riche, Brighture Et Riche (Int) and Zenova International – were charged in connection with the alleged scheme, Singapore Customs said.
Authorities commenced investigations in February last year after receiving information that mattresses exported from Singapore to the US had been falsely declared as being made in the city state. The origin of the mattresses was revealed to be China.
Investigations uncovered an alleged scheme that operated between August 2022 and June 2025, involving goods with a total value of over S$23 million (US$18 million).
At the time, Chinese-made mattresses exported to the US were subject to anti-dumping duties, which were imposed in 2019 after the US Commerce Department determined such mattresses were being sold in the US at less than fair value.
“Singapore Customs takes a serious view of the falsification of trade declarations or the misuse of Certificates of Origin,” the agency said. “Such conduct undermines the integrity of international trade documentation and can damage Singapore’s standing as a trusted and reliable global trading hub.”