Singapore Police have arrested 20 people and are investigating another 42 over the alleged registration and handover of SIM cards that were subsequently linked to illicit activities.
The 62 individuals came under investigation following an island-wide enforcement operation conducted between 4 and 21 August 2026. Officers from the Singapore Police Force’s Cyber Command and all seven Police Land Divisions took part in the operation.
The suspects allegedly registered postpaid SIM cards under their own names before handing them to others. Police said some of these cards were later connected to criminal activities.
Subscribers Allegedly Paid For SIM Cards
Among those arrested were 15 men and five women aged between 16 and 33. They are suspected of registering SIM cards and handing them over in return for money.
Preliminary investigations found that some subscribers were allegedly offered between S$10 and S$20 for every SIM card they registered. They were reportedly instructed to purchase and register the cards in bulk from different retailers before handing them to a courier linked to a syndicate.
Each subscriber is believed to have handed over between 10 and 33 registered SIM cards.
The remaining 42 people assisting with investigations comprise 29 men and 13 women aged between 16 and 75.
SIM Cards Can Be Used In Scams & Other Crimes
Police warned that locally registered SIM cards can be exploited by criminal syndicates as communication channels for a range of offences, including scams, unlicensed moneylending, vice-related activities and other illicit operations.
Authorities also stressed that individuals can face criminal consequences even if they are not directly involved in the eventual offence.
Anyone who knowingly provides a SIM card registered in their name to another person for financial gain, with the intention of facilitating a crime, may be fined up to S$10,000, jailed for up to three years, or both.
People may also face enforcement action for reselling SIM cards, allowing others to use their registered cards, helping someone else register a card or possessing multiple SIM cards without a legitimate reason.
Restrictions On Getting New Mobile Lines
Individuals linked to certain mule-related offences may also be prevented from subscribing to new mobile lines under Singapore’s Facility Restriction Framework.
Such restrictions can apply to people under investigation if authorities assess them to be at risk, as well as individuals who have received warnings, composition sums, prosecutions or convictions.
Police also highlighted the serious penalties that can apply to people involved in scam syndicates and related offences.
Members and recruiters of scam syndicates may face mandatory caning of between six and 24 strokes in cases covered by the relevant laws. Scam mules involved in facilitating certain offences, including supplying SIM cards or handling criminal proceeds, may face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes.
The penalties cover certain money-laundering offences, Singpass-related offences under the Computer Misuse Act and specified SIM-card offences under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act.
Public Can Report Suspected SIM Card Misuse
Members of the public who encounter suspicious arrangements involving SIM card registration can provide information to the police.
Information can be submitted through the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or via i-Witness. Police said information received will be kept strictly confidential.
The enforcement operation serves as a reminder that people should not register mobile lines on behalf of others without understanding how the SIM cards will be used. Accepting small payments in exchange for registering multiple lines could potentially expose individuals to significant legal consequences if the cards are subsequently used to facilitate criminal activities.