BANGKOK — A Singaporean man, Chia, was arrested by Thai police on Wednesday after a joint operation with Singaporean authorities. Chia, 39, is suspected of conducting cyber attacks on more than 70 organizations across 12 countries.
Thai authorities allege that Chia breached company databases, stole sensitive data, and sold it on the dark web. His arrest followed an extortion complaint from a Thai company, which had received threats through the X account “@0mid16b” demanding payment to prevent the release of stolen customer data.
Chia confessed to the hacking activities and is accused of breaching over 70 organizations since 2020, including 20 in Thailand. The raid on his residence resulted in the seizure of luxury items and gold ornaments valued at approximately $300,000.
Chia faces charges including extortion, unauthorized access to computer systems, and illegal stay in Thailand. He used multiple aliases, such as Altdos, Desorden, GhostR, and 0mid16B, and is linked to 13 terabytes of stolen data targeting sectors like healthcare, finance, retail, and government.
The cybersecurity firm Group-IB assisted in the investigation.
