SINGAPORE, July 25 (The Straits Times/ANN): Within two short years, Singaporean Pi Jiapeng, 26, met his wife – Thai national Pansuk Siriwipa, 27 – and they started a business trading luxury goods.
They spent lavishly but are now fugitives on the Interpol wanted list.
Here is a look at events that built up to their disappearance on July 4:
December 2019: Pi, who was working odd jobs and in a retail shop, meets his wife on Tinder. Within a week, she pays off his gambling debt.
August 2020: They move into a condominium in Bukit Timah with Pi’s mother.
September 2020: They get married but decide not to hold a dinner.
April 2021: They start Tradenation and Tradeluxury to trade in luxury goods.
October 2021: They move into a landed property near Holland Grove.
April 2, 2022: Tradenation is registered with the Ministry of Law as a precious stones and precious metals dealer. At the point of Tradenation’s registration, there were no grounds to refuse it.
June 1: Customers notice significant delays in getting their goods and confront the couple.
June 11: To address the delays, Mr Pi and his wife set up a Telegram chat group for customers.
June 27: Pi is arrested and his wife is called up for police investigations. More than 180 reports have been made claiming luxury items worth more than $32 million were undelivered.
June 28: Pi is released on bail.
June 30: Pansuk’s passport is impounded.
July 4: The couple escape in a Malaysian-registered lorry.
July 15: A 40-year-old Malaysian man is charged in court for helping Pansuk escape.
July 19: The Singapore police say warrants of arrest and Interpol red notices have been issued against the couple.
July 22: The Malaysian lorry driver is charged with helping Pi flee. – The Straits Times/ANN
