Hyderabad: In a significant breakthrough, Hyderabad police arrested a five-member gang accused of supplying fraudulently obtained SIM cards to cybercriminals operating in Cambodia. The operation, carried out by the Hyderabad Commissioner’s Task Force (East) team in collaboration with the Abid Road police, resulted in the seizure of approximately 1,750 pre-activated SIM cards.
The gang members, identified as Sura Venkatesh, N Imam Saddam Hussain, Danam Vijay Kumar, G Govardhan, and Balakrishnan Manikanda, were apprehended on Thursday. According to the police, these individuals were part of a well-organized network that facilitated cyber fraud by providing SIM cards acquired through illicit means.
The modus operandi of the gang involved exploiting the documentation provided by unsuspecting customers at mobile phone shops. N Imam Saddam Hussain, who ran a mobile phone shop in Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, played a crucial role in this scheme. He would collect identification documents, such as Aadhar cards, from customers to issue SIM cards. However, instead of issuing just one SIM card per set of documents, Hussain would clandestinely obtain an additional SIM card using the same documents. He then sold these extra SIM cards to Venkatesh.
Venkatesh, in turn, purchased the SIM cards from Hussain at a price of Rs. 400 each. He supplied these cards to another gang member, Danam Vijay Kumar, who sold them to Balakrishnan Manikanda at an inflated price of Rs. 800 per SIM card. Manikanda, who is believed to have connections with cybercriminals in Cambodia, allegedly supplied these SIM cards to them at a significantly higher price, thus enabling various cyber fraud activities.
The police, while unraveling the intricate network, highlighted the dangers posed by such illegal activities. These SIM cards, once in the hands of cybercriminals, could be used to commit a range of fraudulent activities, including identity theft, financial fraud, and other cybercrimes. The investigation revealed that these cards were primarily used by fraudsters to bypass security protocols that rely on mobile-based verifications, making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to trace the perpetrators.
During the interrogation, the arrested individuals confessed to their involvement in the racket and provided details of their operations. The police are currently investigating further to identify other potential members of the network and to understand the full scope of the illegal activities facilitated by these SIM cards.
DCP Task Force Y V S Sudheendra urged the public to remain vigilant and advised individuals to verify with their SIM card providers regarding the number of SIM cards issued against their Aadhar cards. He stressed the importance of reporting any discrepancies or suspicious activities to the authorities immediately to prevent potential misuse of personal identification documents.
The busting of this gang is part of a larger effort by Hyderabad police to clamp down on cybercrimes and related activities. The authorities have expressed their commitment to taking stringent action against individuals involved in such illegal activities, aiming to curb the rising threat of cyber fraud in the region.
The operation has been lauded as a significant step towards safeguarding citizens from cyber threats, with the police continuing their efforts to ensure that such fraudulent networks are dismantled and brought to justice.
