27-2-2025 (BANGKOK) Thai authorities apprehended a 39-year-old suspected hacker on Wednesday in an operation that showcased cross-border police collaboration.
The arrest follows a protracted investigation spanning nearly four years and represents a major victory against cybercrime in Southeast Asia, according to officials from the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
The suspect, believed to be behind multiple notorious hacking personas including ALTDOS, DESORDEN, GHOSTR, and 0mid16B, allegedly orchestrated at least 75 data breaches worldwide. Thai authorities seized assets valued at over 10 million baht during the arrest, including luxury vehicles, designer bags, laptops and mobile phones.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Tay, who commands SPF’s cybercrime division, emphasised the importance of international cooperation in tackling cyber threats: “In the cyber realm, international cooperation is crucial as cybercriminals do not respect borders.”
The investigation began in 2020 when Singaporean authorities received reports from 11 victims who had received ransom demands. What initially appeared to be multiple threat actors was eventually traced to what investigators believe is a single individual or closely connected group.
The operation’s methodology typically involved exploiting network vulnerabilities to exfiltrate sensitive data, followed by ransom demands. When victims refused to pay, the stolen information would reportedly be published for sale on underground forums.
ALTDOS first gained notoriety in late 2020 after compromising a Thai securities trading firm. The threat actor later targeted OrangeTee & Tie, a Singapore-based real estate agency, demanding 10 Bitcoins in exchange for not disclosing stolen databases. The breach ultimately resulted in a S$37,000 fine for the agency after regulators identified security lapses that exposed personal data of more than 250,000 customers and employees.
By August 2023, the GHOSTR persona had emerged, focusing primarily on entities across Southeast Asia, with similar tactics of data theft, ransom demands, and selling confidential information.
The Royal Thai Police and Singapore Police Force’s Criminal Investigation Department collaborated closely throughout the investigation, sharing intelligence that ultimately led to the suspect’s identification and arrest.
