Police have arrested 35 people and are investigating 17 others for their involvement in registering SIM cards for illegal purposes.

From January 8 to 16, 2026, officers from the Anti-Fraud Command and seven police land divisions carried out an island-wide crackdown on errant subscribers who registered postpaid SIM cards, which were later linked to criminal activity. Twenty-two men and 13 women, aged between 16 and 38, were arrested on suspicion of providing registered postpaid SIM cards for financial gain. Additionally, 10 men and seven women, ranging in age from 16 to 65, are cooperating with the investigation.

Preliminary investigation revealed that these errant subscribers were offered cash rewards of $15 to $20 for each SIM card registered. These subscribers were allegedly instructed to sign up and purchase SIM cards in bulk from various retailers, and then handed over between 30 and 69 registered SIM cards to the syndicate’s couriers.

Criminal organizations exploit local SIM cards as communication channels for illegal activities such as fraud, unauthorized moneylending, and unscrupulous activities.

The offense under section 39B(1) read with section 39B(2)(a) of the Miscellaneous Offenses (Public Order and Nuisance) Act 1906 of knowingly providing a registered SIM card to another person for the purpose of obtaining an advantage is punishable by a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment of not more than 3 years, or both.

Police take seriously the misuse of SIM cards as a conduit for crime and will not hesitate to take action against individuals who misuse SIM cards, including by reselling SIM cards, allowing others to use them, assisting others in registering them, or possessing multiple SIM cards without a legitimate reason.
For more information on SIM card misuse, the public can visit the SIM Card Misuse website at www.police.gov.sg/Advisories/Misuse-of-SIM-Card-Offences. Members of the public can also call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness if they suspect or know someone who is involved in registering SIM cards for illegal purposes. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

arrest photo