62 people investigated over suspected misuse of SIM cards linked to crime
A total of 62 people are under police investigation over the suspected registration of SIM cards for illegal purposes.
In a statement on Monday (24 Aug), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said 20 people had been arrested, while another 42 are assisting with investigations.
Source: Singapore Police Force
The investigations stemmed from an island-wide enforcement operation conducted from 4 Aug to 21 Aug by officers from the Cyber Command and all seven Police Land Divisions.
Police were looking into subscribers whose postpaid SIM cards were subsequently linked to criminal activities.
Among those arrested were 15 men and five women between the ages of 16 and 33. They are suspected of handing over SIM cards registered under their names in exchange for money.
Source: Singapore Police Force
Separately, 29 men and 13 women, aged between 16 and 75, are assisting police with investigations.
Subscribers allegedly received up to S$20 per SIM card
Early investigations suggest that some subscribers were offered between S$10 and S$20 for each SIM card they registered.
They were allegedly instructed to register and buy SIM cards in bulk from different retailers, then hand the registered cards over to a courier working for the syndicate.
Each subscriber is believed to have handed over between 10 and 33 registered SIM cards.
Source: Singapore Police Force
Police said criminal syndicates can use locally registered SIM cards as communication channels for scams, unlicensed moneylending, vice, and other illicit activities.
Anyone who knowingly provides a registered SIM card to another person for gain, in order to facilitate a crime, can face a fine of up to S$10,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both.
Those involved may also be barred from getting new mobile lines
SPF warned that action can also be taken against people who resell their SIM cards, let others use them, help someone else register a SIM card, or keep multiple SIM cards without a legitimate reason.
Source: Wipada Wipawin from Getty Images on Canva, for illustration purposes only
Those linked to mule-related offences may also be barred from subscribing to new mobile lines under the Facility Restriction Framework.
The restriction can apply to people under investigation who are assessed to be at risk, as well as those who have been warned, issued composition sums, prosecuted, or convicted.
Scammers, as well as members and recruiters of scam syndicates, can face mandatory caning of between six and 24 strokes.
Meanwhile, scam mules who help facilitate such crimes by handling scam proceeds, supplying SIM cards, or providing Singpass credentials may face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes.
These penalties apply to certain money-laundering offences, Singpass offences under the Computer Misuse Act, and certain SIM-card offences under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act.
Public can report suspected SIM-card misuse to police
More information on SIM-card misuse is available on SPF’s Misuse of SIM Card Offences website.
Anyone with information about people registering SIM cards for illicit purposes can call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or make a report through i-Witness.
Police said all information received will be kept strictly confidential.
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force and Wipada Wipawin from Getty Images on Canva, for illustration purposes only.