A coordinated crackdown by police forces in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia has successfully dismantled a transnational criminal syndicate behind a network of scam operations using GSM gateway devices.
In a joint operation spanning April to June 2025, officers from the Singapore Police Force (SPF), the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), and the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) worked together to target a syndicate exploiting Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) GSM gateway technology to make fraudulent calls across all three jurisdictions.
The syndicate had developed a sophisticated cloud-based infrastructure allowing it to remotely connect to GSM mobile networks in each country. This enabled scam calls to appear as if they originated from within a victim’s own country, deceiving recipients into believing the calls were legitimate.
Through close collaboration and sustained intelligence gathering by SPF’s Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and Police Intelligence Department (PID), authorities were able to uncover the network’s operations. The operation, which included multiple raids across Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, led to the seizure of a total of 226 GSM gateway devices—75 in Singapore, 10 in Malaysia, and 141 in Hong Kong.
Eleven individuals aged between 24 and 48 were arrested in connection with the syndicate.
Notably, a 29-year-old suspect, Malaysian Ng Hsien Fu, was arrested in Malaysia on 3 June 2025. He was extradited to Singapore and charged two days later for being part of a criminal conspiracy to commit cheating offences. If convicted under Section 420 read with Section 120B of the Penal Code 1871, the suspect faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine.
The operation was facilitated through FRONTIER+, a regional law enforcement platform comprising ten jurisdictions, including the three involved in this case. The platform enabled swift intelligence sharing and coordination of enforcement actions against the transnational scam network.
David Chew, Director of the Commercial Affairs Department, 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. The coordinated efforts with our foreign counterparts have been instrumental in arresting the criminals and dismantling their infrastructure. We will continue to work closely with our partners to detect, deter and disrupt such criminal activities and prosecute the persons behind them to the fullest extent of the law.”
Members of the public are reminded to stay vigilant against scams. For more information, they can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the ScamShield Helpline at 1799. Those with information on scams may contact the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information anonymously at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. All reports will be handled with strict confidentiality.
