CBI arrests five persons for allegedly selling SIM cards in violation of KYC rules | #cybercrime | #infosec

The arrests were made in four States. File image used for representation.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested five persons on the charge of selling SIM cards without authorisation. The action was taken during searches at 42 locations in eight States as part of the ongoing ‘Operation Chakra-V’ against transnational organised cybercrime syndicates.

Searches were carried out at 38 premises of point-of-sale agents of telecom operators, allegedly providing SIM cards to cybercriminals, in Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. They were being used for illegal activities, including ‘digital arrest’ scams, impersonation, fraudulent advertisements, and investment/UPI frauds.

During the operation, incriminating documents and articles, including mobile phones, electronic devices, copies of KYC (Know Your Customer) and identification papers of individuals, including middlemen, involved in the distribution of unauthorised SIM cards were seized, the agency said.

The arrests were made in four States. “The action is part of ongoing commitment of the government of India to severely deal with cybercrime and its perpetrators with a special emphasis on dismantling the infrastructure behind such offences,” the CBI said in a statement.