72 people under investigation for alleged fraudulent SIM card registration

A two-week long enforcement operation which ended on Friday (March 13) resulted in the arrest of 45 people for their suspected involvement in registering SIM cards for illicit purposes. 

The islandwide operation, which began on March 2, was carried out by officers from the police's Anti-Scam Command and the seven police land divisions, said the police in a statement on Friday. 

A total of 37 men and eight women, aged between 17 and 59, were arrested for their suspected involvement in providing registered postpaid SIM cards for money. 

Another 27 people, aged between 16 and 54, are also being investigated, said the police. 

Based on preliminary investigations, the police found that errant subscribers were offered cash rewards between $10 and $20 per registered SIM card. 

These subscribers were purportedly instructed to sign up and purchase SIM cards in bulk from different retailers, and they handed over between 30 and 83 registered SIM cards to the syndicate's courier. 

SIM cards are reportedly exploited by criminal syndicates for scams, unlicensed moneylending and vice, among other illicit activities, said the police.

Those convicted of knowingly providing a registered SIM card to another person to facilitate a crime for any gain will face a maximum fine of $10,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both. 

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Singapore Police Force have also implemented stricter measures on postpaid SIM cards to prevent illicit use.

As of Feb 28, one person can only register up to 10 postpaid SIM cards across all telcos in Singapore.

The police also urged members of the public to call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or make a report at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness if they suspect or know of anyone who could be involved in the registration of SIM cards for illicit purposes. 

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dana.leong@asiaone.com