The government has moved to tighten SIM card regulations and hold registered owners accountable when their numbers are smuggled into prisons, as authorities seek to curb scam calls and other criminal activity linked to correctional facilities.
The Cabinet decided on the measures during its meeting on Sunday, 16 August 2026, following discussions on security concerns surrounding mobile SIM cards entering prisons.
Under the decision, legal and administrative action will be pursued against registered owners of SIM cards found to have been smuggled into correctional facilities.
The government will also tighten SIM issuance rules for unskilled foreign workers, limiting each individual to one SIM card. If a SIM is lost or damaged, a replacement will only be issued through an established process involving police clearance.
The measures come amid concern over scam calls originating from prisons, where illegally obtained SIM cards can provide inmates with access to mobile communication despite restrictions inside correctional facilities.
Such scams have become a serious public concern, particularly when fraudsters impersonate businesses, financial institutions or other parties to persuade victims to transfer money or disclose information. Individuals who fall for such schemes can suffer substantial financial losses.
The Cabinet’s decision seeks to address a key vulnerability in the system by strengthening accountability for SIM ownership. Registered SIM cards that are transferred to other people or illicitly supplied to inmates can make it more difficult for authorities to identify those actually operating the numbers.
By imposing consequences on registered owners and restricting the number of SIM cards available to certain foreign workers, the government aims to strengthen traceability and make it harder for SIM cards to enter the illicit market.
The Cabinet announced the SIM measures alongside several other decisions on tobacco control, pre-trial detention, copper wire theft, social care facilities and domestic aviation.
