STF arrests mastermind for supplying SIM cards to cybercriminals in South Asian countries
PNS/DEHRADUN
The Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) arrested the mastermind behind an international cybercrime syndicate involved in providing fraudulent SIM cards to cybercriminals across India and South Asia.
The accused Mohammad Aslam was apprehended from the Manglaur area of Haridwar district late on Sunday, the inspector general of police (Crime, Law and Order) Nilesh Anand Bharne said. In a Press conference here on Monday, Bharne said that the accused had reportedly activated over 20,000 SIM cards using forged documents, supplying them to cybercriminals in countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, China and several states in the country. His modus operandi usually included duping women by offering them free gifts in exchange for their Aadhaar details and biometric data, which were later used to activate the SIM cards.
The IG said that Aslam had reportedly deceived multiple women in his locality, using their Aadhaar details to obtain SIM cards. The fraudulent SIM cards were then sold to cybercriminals through Chinese and Cambodian-operated WhatsApp OTP groups for OTP generation. These OTPs were used to activate WhatsApp and other social media accounts, enabling cybercriminals to carry out large-scale fraud including fraudulent trading and investment schemes to lure victims across the country with the promise of high returns, Bharne said. He said that the investigation stemmed from a complaint filed in April 2024, where a victim from Dehradun reported losing money in a fake investment scam.
The STF, in collaboration with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, conducted a thorough investigation into bank accounts and mobile numbers involved in the scam. The police team, led by inspector Vikas Bhardwaj cracked down on the mastermind using advanced technical analysis. The deputy superintendent of police of cyber crime police station, STF, Ankush Mishra, coordinated with I4C to analyse the mobile numbers and exposed multiple complaints linked to the SIM cards across the country.
Mishra informed that the scam involved creating fake online trading and investment platforms, enticing people with promises of tripling their investments. Victims were shown fake profits to gain their trust, after which they were coerced into investing larger sums, eventually losing their money, he added. Aslam was arrested from Manglaur on Sunday. During the arrest, the STF also recovered 1,816 SIM cards, five mobile phones, two biometric devices and two cheque books. Further investigations are ongoing to uncover more links to the scam, he added. Bharne also urged citizens to remain vigilant and avoid falling prey to such online scams. He asked the victims to report suspicious activities to their nearest police station or cybercrime unit and advised against sharing personal documents or investing in unverified platforms.
