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The Police have arrested seven persons and are investigating 65 others for their suspected involvement in registering SIM cards for illicit purposes.

Between 20 April and 8 May 2026, officers from the Anti-Scam Command and the seven Police Land Divisions conducted an island-wide enforcement operation against errant subscribers who registered postpaid SIM cards that were subsequently linked to criminal activities. A total of five men and two women, aged between 18 and 35, were arrested for their suspected involvement in providing registered postpaid SIM cards for monetary gains. Another 62 men and three women, aged between 16 and 56, are assisting with investigations.

Preliminary investigations revealed these errant subscribers were offered cash rewards between $10 and $20 per registered SIM card. These subscribers were purportedly instructed to register and purchase SIM cards in bulk from different retailers, and handed over between 30 and 64 registered SIM cards to the syndicate’s courier. 

Criminal syndicates exploit local SIM cards as a channel of communication for scams, unlicensed moneylending and vice, among other illicit activities. 

The offence of knowingly providing a registered SIM card to another person to facilitate a crime for any gain under Section 39B(1) read with 39B(2)(a) of the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act 1906 carries a fine not exceeding $10,000, an imprisonment term not exceeding three years, or both.

The Police take a serious view of SIM cards being misused as conduits for crimes and will not hesitate to take action against individuals who misuse their SIM cards by reselling them, allowing others to use their SIM cards, helping other individuals to register SIM cards, or holding multiple SIM cards without legitimate reasons. 

Under the Facility Restriction Framework, individuals involved in such mule-related offences – whether they are under investigation and assessed to be at risk, or have been warned, issued with composition sums, prosecuted or convicted – may be prohibited from subscribing to new mobile lines to prevent further facilitations of scams. 

With effect from 30 December 2025, scammers and members or recruiters of scam syndicates will face mandatory caning of at least six strokes, which can go up to 24 strokes. Scam mules who enable scammers by laundering scam proceeds, providing SIM cards and providing Singpass credentials will face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes. These include certain money-laundering offences under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act; Singpass offences under the Computer Misuse Act; and certain SIM-card offences under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act.

For more information on misuse of SIM cards, members of the public can visit Misuse of SIM Card Offences 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 of anyone who could be involved in the registration of SIM cards for illicit purposes. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

Photos of some of the arrests