44 suspects under probe for involvement in SIM card fraud
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The police have arrested 31 of the 44 suspects.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SINGAPORE – A total of 44 people are being investigated for their alleged involvement in fraudulently registering SIM cards.
The police have arrested 31 out of the 44 suspects, they said in a statement on July 28.
The suspects were rounded up between July 17 and 25, during an operation by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department, Criminal Investigation Department and the seven police land divisions.
The islandwide blitz targeted errant subscribers registering postpaid SIM cards used for criminal activities.
A total of 21 men and 10 women, aged between 16 and 48, were arrested, while another nine men and four women, aged between 16 and 57, are assisting with investigations.
Preliminary investigations revealed that these people were allegedly offered between $10 and $15 for each registered SIM card.
Each person is believed to have handed over between 31 and 49 SIM cards, registered under their names, to the criminal syndicate.
The suspects were allegedly told to sign up and buy SIM cards in bulk across different retailers before handing them over to couriers.
Criminal syndicates exploit local SIM cards and eSIMs for communication in scams, unlicensed moneylending and vice, among other illicit activities, the police said.
Those found guilty of knowingly providing a fraudulently registered SIM card to another person to facilitate a crime for any gain can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to three years, or both.
More information on the misuse of SIM cards is available on the police website
To report suspected cases of SIM card fraud, call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or submit the information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness
