BANGKOK, Feb 28, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Thai police have arrested a Singaporean man suspected of cyber attacks on more than 70 organisations in a dozen countries around the world.

The 39-year-old was detained in Bangkok on Wednesday following a joint operation with Singaporean authorities, Thai police said on Thursday.

The suspect, identified by police as Chia, is accused of hacking into dozens of companies, stealing sensitive data and selling it on the dark web, officials said.

His arrest followed an extortion complaint from a Thai company which reported receiving threats via the X account "@0mid16b", demanding payment in exchange for withholding stolen customer data.

Atip Pongsivapai, commander of Thailand's Technology Crime Suppression Division, said they began tracking the hacker's activities after receiving the complaint.

Chia has confessed to hacking into company databases and selling stolen data, Thai police said.

Since 2020, he has breached more than 70 organisations, including 20 companies in Thailand, according to police.

During the raid, gold ornaments, luxury items and brand-name products worth around $300,000 were seized.

Chia has been charged with extortion, unauthorised access to computer systems, and illegal stay in Thailand, officials said.

Singapore-based cybersecurity firm Group-IB, which assisted in the case, said he used multiple aliases, including Altdos, Desorden, GhostR and 0mid16B, and was linked to 13 terabytes of stolen data targeting healthcare, finance, retail, and government sectors