A joint operation by the Singapore Police Force (SPF), Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), and Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) from April to June 2025 has successfully disrupted a criminal syndicate operating Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) GSM gateway devices used to perpetrate scam calls across the three jurisdictions.
The collaborative intelligence-sharing initiative between the three police forces and combined investigative efforts revealed that the scam syndicate had established a sophisticated criminal network across the three jurisdictions. Officers from SPF's Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Police Intelligence Department (PID), worked closely with their counterparts from HKPF and RMP. Through sustained intelligence gathering and investigations over two months, the joint operation targeted multiple locations across the three jurisdictions.
Investigations uncovered that the syndicate employed an advanced cloud-based remote operating system, enabling them to link to GSM mobile phone networks across the three jurisdictions. This arrangement allowed the syndicate to operate remotely and route fraudulent calls through our local mobile phone networks, leading victims in Singapore to believe that they were receiving calls from within Singapore.
A total of 226 GSM gateway devices were seized in the raids: 75 from Singapore, 10 from Malaysia and 141 from Hong Kong. 11 persons aged between 24 and 48 from across the three jurisdictions were also arrested for their suspected involvement in the criminal syndicate.
A 29-year-old suspect who was arrested in Malaysia on 3 June 2025, was handed over to Singapore and charged in court on 5 June 2025 for Being a Party to a Criminal Conspiracy to commit Cheating offences under Section 420 read with Section 120B of the Penal Code 1871.
If convicted of this offence under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871, an offender faces an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine.
The operation was coordinated through FRONTIER+, a transnational law enforcement platform comprising ten jurisdictions including Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. The successful coordination between SPF, HKPF, and RMP through FRONTIER+, demonstrates that the platform enables swift intelligence sharing and joint enforcement actions against transnational scam syndicates. Since its inception, FRONTIER+ has been instrumental in fostering closer cooperation among participating jurisdictions.
Director of Commercial Affairs Department, David Chew said, "Scam syndicates build sophisticated transnational cloud network infrastructure to launch attacks on our citizenry. A transnational threat requires a transnational response. This successful operation demonstrates the strong partnership between SPF, HKPF and RMP to combat these transnational scam syndicates. The coordinated efforts with our foreign counterparts have been instrumental in arresting the criminals maintaining this criminal infrastructure and dismantling it. We will continue to work closely with our partners to detect, deter and disrupt such criminal activities and prosecute the persons behind it to the fullest extent of the law."
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the ScamShield Helpline at 1799. Anyone with information on scams can call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
Exhibits seized during operation conducted in Singapore ▼
Operation conducted in Hong Kong, photos courtesy from HKPF ▼
Male suspect arrested in Malaysia and escorted to Singapore ▼
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
17 June 2025 @ 6:20 PM