The Singapore Police Force (‘SPF’) collaborated with the Royal Thai Police (‘RTP’) on a cross-border operation against a hacker believed to be responsible for a series of international data breaches, leading to the arrest of a 39-year-old man on 26 February 2025 in Thailand.
Investigations into the data breaches began in 2020, following reports filed by 11 Singapore victims of ransom demands by possible multiple threat actors who identified themselves as “ALTDOS”, “DESORDEN”, “GHOSTR” and “0mid16B”. The investigations revealed that these multiple aliases were likely to be connected to the same threat actor who was responsible for at least 75 cases internationally. The threat actor is suspected to have exploited vulnerabilities in the victims’ networks before stealing the victims’ data. The threat actor is also suspected to have published the stolen data for sale online when victims failed to pay the ransom demanded.
Officers from the Cybercrime Command (CCC) under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the SPF have been working closely with officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the RTP to share investigation findings in relation to the suspected threat actor, who is also believed to be responsible for a spate of data breach cases in Thailand. Based on the leads uncovered, the identity of the man was established.
Following extensive planning and close collaboration between the SPF and RTP, the man was arrested by the RTP on 26 February 2025 for offences under the Thai Criminal Code and Computer-Related Crime Act. Assets valued at over 10 million THB, including laptops, mobile phones, luxury vehicles, and branded bags, were seized. Investigations are ongoing.
The SPF and RTP remain committed to working together to disrupt the activities of cybercriminals and bring them to justice. The successful outcome of the arrest operation by the RTP underscores the importance of international cooperation in tackling the evolving threat of cybercrime. The Commander of SPF’s Cybercrime Command, Assistant Commissioner of Police (AC) Paul Tay, expressed his appreciation to the RTP. He said, “In the cyber realm, international cooperation is crucial as cybercriminals do not respect borders. The Singapore Police Force is committed to working closely with our regional partners, and we thank the Royal Thai Police for their invaluable collaboration in taking down this criminal network and making our cyberspace safer. We would also like to thank the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) of Singapore for their support in uncovering valuable leads for this case. We remain relentless in our pursuit of cyber criminals; and will hunt them down wherever they are and bring them to justice.”
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the Royal Thai Police expressed its sincere appreciation to the Singapore Police Force (SPF) for their invaluable support in the recent joint operation against cybercrime. This successful operation underscores the critical role of international cooperation in dismantling criminal networks that threaten our cybersecurity. Commissioner of CIB, Police Lieutenant General Jirabhop Bhuridej said, “The dedication and professionalism of the SPF were instrumental in the swift apprehension of those involved. We remain committed to strengthening our collaboration with SPF and other global partners to ensure that criminals are brought to justice and our communities remain safe."
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
27 February 2025 @ 11:10 AM