Singapore: 35 Arrested, 17 Under Investigation in Island-Wide Crackdown on Illegal SIM Card Registrations

Singapore police have arrested 35 people and are investigating another 17 for their suspected involvement in registering SIM cards for illicit purposes, following an island-wide enforcement operation earlier this month.

In a statement, the police said that officers from the Anti-Scam Command and the seven Police Land Divisions carried out coordinated operations between January 8 and January 16 targeting errant subscribers whose postpaid SIM cards were later linked to criminal activities. Those arrested comprised 22 men and 13 women aged between 16 and 38. A further 10 men and seven women, aged between 16 and 65, are currently assisting with investigations.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were allegedly offered cash rewards of between S$15 and S$20 for each SIM card they registered. They were purportedly instructed to sign up for and purchase SIM cards in bulk from different retailers before handing over between 30 and 69 registered SIM cards to couriers linked to criminal syndicates.

The police said such syndicates often exploit locally registered SIM cards as communication channels for a range of illegal activities, including scams, unlicensed moneylending and vice-related offences.

Under Singapore law, knowingly providing a registered SIM card to another person to facilitate a crime for any gain is an offence under Section 39B of the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act 1906. The offence carries a penalty of up to S$10,000 in fines, imprisonment of up to three years, or both.

Reiterating its zero-tolerance stance, the police warned that they will not hesitate to take action against individuals who misuse their SIM cards, including those who resell them, allow others to use their registered SIM cards, assist others to register SIM cards, or hold multiple SIM cards without a legitimate reason.

Members of the public can find more information on SIM card misuse offences on the police website. Those with information on suspected illegal SIM card registration activities can call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit details online via the i-Witness portal. All information provided will be kept strictly confidential.