Officials said the gang had secretly transported more than 600 Indian SIM cards to Cambodia since 2023. Investigators believe these SIM cards were used for online crimes such as phishing, fake calls, identity theft and extortion, leading to losses worth crores of rupees.
The case came to light on March 31 when one of the accused, Syed Ashraf Ali, was stopped at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad while allegedly attempting to fly to Cambodia with 198 SIM cards hidden in his luggage. Immigration officials detained him and later handed him over to TGCSB officers. During questioning, Ashraf reportedly told investigators that he was part of a larger gang led by Rizvan, a resident of Uttar Pradesh who is believed to have links with a fraud syndicate operating in Cambodia.
Police said Rizvan arranged for SIM cards to be collected from local agents in Hyderabad and other locations. According to investigators, many of the SIM cards were obtained using fake documents or by misusing the identity papers of innocent people. Police said three of the arrested men were running Airtel and Jio point-of-sale centres and knowingly supplied active SIM cards to the gang. One more suspect, identified as courier Arvind Kumar, is still on the run.
“This is not a small operation. The network has several layers and people working both in India and abroad,” said Shikha Goel, Director of TGCSB. She added that fraudulently obtained SIM cards are a serious threat because they help criminals hide their identity and make it harder for police to track them.
The cyber security bureau has advised people not to share personal documents carelessly and to check the Sanchar Saathi website to see whether any unknown SIM cards have been issued in their name. The case underscores the growing scale and complexity of cross-border cybercrime networks and the urgent need for heightened vigilance among citizens and authorities.
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