Singapore Fraud Case Tied to Nvidia AI Chip Shipments to China

Singapore has charged three men with fraud in a case linked to the alleged movement of Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) AI chips to China’s DeepSeek. The U.S. is investigating whether DeepSeek, which gained attention in January for its AI advancements, has been using restricted U.S. chips, Reuters reported.

The Singapore charges stem from a larger probe involving 22 individuals and companies suspected of false representation, amid concerns over AI chip smuggling to China. Channel News Asia suggested the charges are tied to Nvidia chip shipments but did not disclose its sources. Singaporean authorities have yet to confirm any connection.

Court documents identify Singaporeans Aaron Woon Guo Jie, 41, and Alan Wei Zhaolun, 49, as conspirators who misrepresented that servers would not be transferred beyond authorized end users in 2024. Chinese national Li Ming, 51, allegedly committed similar fraud in 2023, claiming a Singapore-registered company, Luxuriate Your Life Pte Ltd, was the end user.

If convicted, the men face up to 20 years in prison, fines, or both. Authorities did not specify the servers' suppliers or the items in question. Singaporean police, in collaboration with customs, arrested nine people on Wednesday, raiding 22 locations and seizing electronic and documentary evidence.

Singapore, Nvidia’s second-largest market after the U.S., accounted for 18% of its total revenue in the latest fiscal year, though actual shipments to the country comprised less than 2% of total revenue. Singapore’s foreign minister recently reaffirmed the country’s commitment to enforcing export controls, warning against evasion and false declarations.

DeepSeek, Nvidia, and Luxuriate Your Life have not commented on the case.