Bengaluru police have registered separate FIRs against five SIM-card agencies accused of activating and selling more than 45 connections that were later used in cybercrime cases reported across several states, as part of an operation named Cyber Shield.
The action was initiated after details from the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal were sent to the cyber command centre for investigation. Police found that SIM cards activated through some Bengaluru agencies had been used in fraud cases reported in New Delhi, Kerala, Maharashtra, Bihar, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, according to a senior police officer cited by Vijay Karnataka.
The five agencies include Balaji Enterprises in Kurubarahalli and staff linked to a private mobile company outlet in the RT Nagar and Sahakara Nagar areas. The report said cyber police in the northern division identified the agencies and registered individual cases against them. Police units in other divisions are also investigating suspected irregularities at additional SIM-sale points across the city.
Investigators allege that the agencies issued or activated SIM cards without properly checking customer documents, allegedly in exchange for commissions. FIRs have been filed under provisions related to the Information Technology Act and fraud, the report said. The agencies have been served notices and asked to appear for questioning. They have also been directed to produce Aadhaar and other original documents collected while activating the connections.
Telecom rules require agencies to obtain officially recognised identity documents, such as Aadhaar or a voter identity card, when issuing a SIM card to an Indian citizen. The customer’s live photograph must also be captured and electronic Know Your Customer verification completed. Police said a person can hold a maximum of nine SIM cards and that agencies must check this limit before issuing another connection.
The investigation also covers allegations that some telecom representatives misused Aadhaar numbers and other personal information belonging to unsuspecting individuals to activate SIM cards. Such connections, police said, can subsequently reach cyber fraud networks. The case therefore places the compliance responsibility of local retail outlets and telecom agents under scrutiny, in addition to the actions of the fraudsters who use the connections.
The operation follows recent concern from the Karnataka High Court over the illegal sale and unauthorised activation of SIM cards. The court reportedly declined to quash a case against a person accused of illegally selling SIM cards in Abbareddy Layout and directed the Cyber Command Director General of Police to prepare guidelines for investigating misuse and unauthorised activation of such connections.
The Bengaluru police operation is continuing, with notices, document collection and investigations into other SIM-sale points forming the next reported steps.
