KUALA LUMPUR — The sheer volume of luxury assets seized during raids linked to the 1MDB financial scandal was so immense that police officers were physically unable to itemize the jewelry they discovered, a former top investigator testified in the Malaysian High Court.
Datuk Seri Amar Singh Ishar Singh, the retired director of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID), described a scene of overwhelming opulence during a 2018 raid at a luxury condominium in Pavilion Residences. According to his testimony, the scale of the findings rendered standard police tabulation protocols impossible.
The testimony comes as part of a high-stakes legal battle involving Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. A Beirut-based jeweler, Global Royalty Trading, is suing Mansor for the return of 43 pieces of high-finish jewelry or compensation totaling RM 67.5 million (approximately S$21.8 million).
The case centers on a fundamental disagreement: although Mansor has previously suggested that the jewelry was seized by the state, the jeweler claims that the vast majority of the pieces were never recovered by authorities and have simply vanished.
‘Overwhelming’ volumes and spilled cash
Singh recounted the initial shock of the 2018 operation, noting that the team discovered 71 luggage bags, one plastic box, and more than 200 other boxes within the residence. While the officers intended to catalog every single item, the volume of the jewelry proved to be a logistical nightmare.
“Initially, we wanted to count each and every exhibit. But the minute we opened up a few bags, the number of exhibits in each bag was just overwhelming,” Singh testified. “When we opened the bags of jewellery, the jewellery bags were full to the brim. So we couldn’t count and tabulate these exhibits. There were just too many.”
The retired officer illustrated the impossibility of the task by explaining that a single chain could potentially consist of thousands of individual components. “Imagine if I tabulated the exhibits. I would just be writing one jewellery item, and there would be 12,000 pieces for one chain. There were so many chains,” he added.
Beyond the gems, Singh described the discovery of a bag filled with cash that had been stored haphazardly. He testified that the money was loosely packed, causing the contents to spill across the floor upon discovery, forcing officers to manually push the currency back into the bag and zip it shut.
Chain of custody and logistical hurdles
The testimony highlighted a gap in the police’s technical capabilities during the raid. Singh admitted that his team lacked both weighing machines and the specialized expertise required to differentiate between authentic gold, diamonds, or high-quality imitations on the spot.
To maintain the integrity of the evidence, the police adopted a strategy of mass-sealing. The bags were wrapped in heavy-duty plastic—similar to the security wrapping used for luggage at airports—to ensure the exhibits remained undisturbed during transport.
The removal of the assets was a major security operation. The items were loaded into five “Black Marias” (police trucks) and transported in a guarded convoy to the police lock-up at Bukit Aman. Singh emphasized that patrol cars escorted every vehicle to ensure the items arrived in their original condition before being sealed in the lock-up.
| Phase | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Seizure | Raid of Pavilion Residences; 71 bags and 200+ boxes recovered. | Pavilion Residences |
| Transport | Convoy of five Black Marias escorted by patrol cars. | To Bukit Aman |
| Valuation | Inspection and valuation conducted (May 30 – June 25). | Menara KPJ (34th Floor) |
| Storage | Final transfer of exhibits to a secure vault. | Bank Negara Malaysia |
The dispute over missing diamonds
The legal friction in the current suit involves a specific set of 44 pieces of jewelry—including tiaras, bracelets, and diamond necklaces—sent to Rosmah Mansor by Global Royalty Trading. The jeweler filed the lawsuit on May 29, 2023, alleging that Mansor falsely claimed the items were seized under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
Global Royalty Trading asserts that only one of the 44 pieces was actually retained by the police. The firm argues that Mansor shifted the blame onto the Malaysian government to cover the fact that the jewelry had gone missing.
Singh noted in his witness statement that during the valuation process at Menara KPJ, a representative from Global Royalty and a money laundering investigating officer did positively identify one item belonging to the firm. He further stated that this item was part of a larger collection of 1,041 jewelry pieces found in bags at the premises.
Disclaimer: This report concerns ongoing legal proceedings. All parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The hearing is continuing before Justice Quay Chew Soon, as the court seeks to determine the fate of the missing assets and whether the state or the defendant is liable for the RM 67.5 million claim.
We invite our readers to share their thoughts on this developing story in the comments below or via our social channels.
