CBI arrests Airtel distributor for illegal sale of SIM cards used in cyber frauds
New Delhi, Sept 13 (TNT): The CBI has arrested an Airtel area distributor from Bihar’s Vaishali district for allegedly fraudulently issuing a large number of SIM cards that were subsequently used in illegal SIM Box operations linked to cyber frauds, including “Digital Arrest” cases.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at 10 locations in Vaishali district of Bihar, Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha and arrested the distributor from Mahua in Vaishali in connection with the case.
During the searches, incriminating material, including mobile phones, laptops and SIM cards, was seized, the CBI said in a press release on Saturday.
The agency is investigating an illegal SIM Box operation detected in Supaul district of Bihar last year. The case was subsequently transferred to the CBI.
More than 1,300 SIM cards were recovered from the premises where the SIM Box was being operated. Analysis of the data indicated that the operation was connected to at least 73 cybercrime cases across India, including cases involving the “Digital Arrest” modus operandi.
The CBI said extensive analysis of data relating to the SIM cards led to the identification of suspected Points of Sale (PoS).
A large number of the SIM cards were found to have been issued from Bihar and Odisha, with more than 700 SIM cards linked to an area distributor of Airtel in Vaishali.
The distributor allegedly misused the credentials of more than a dozen PoS operators to issue the SIM cards, the agency said.
Several subscribers told investigators that they were unaware that SIM cards had been issued in their names.
The CBI said this was allegedly done by deceiving them into authorising themselves multiple times for e-KYC during visits for genuine purposes or by misusing biometric data collected for other purposes.
The CBI is investigating the case for alleged offences including cheating, forgery, extortion under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, identity theft, computer-related offences under the Information Technology Act and offences under the Telecommunications Act, 2022.
The agency reiterated its commitment to taking stringent legal action against individuals and entities enabling cyber fraud by misusing telecommunications infrastructure.
It also cautioned citizens against calls made in the name of law enforcement agencies demanding money, and reiterated that there is no such concept as “digital arrest”.
TNT KS
