Assam: Dhubri Police bust SIM card racket linked to cyber fraud across India; two produced in court

Dhubri Police have busted an alleged SIM card fraud racket involving the illegal activation and sale of mobile connections that were later used in cybercrimes across multiple states, officials said on Thursday, July 16.

Based on a preliminary investigation, police registered Dhubri Police Station, under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and the use of forged documents.

The investigation was initiated after the Office of the Special Superintendent of Police (SSP), Dhubri, forwarded a high-priority alert received from the Director (Security), Office of the Additional Director General of Telecommunications (DGT), Assam Licensed Service Area (LSA), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, through the CID Headquarters in Guwahati.

According to police, the Department of Telecommunications flagged 45 mobile numbers that were allegedly activated fraudulently through two Points of Sale (POS) in Dhubri—Pakhi Enterprise and Dr Tele Services.

Following a preliminary inquiry, Sub-Inspector Abha Jyoti Rabha, Officer-in-Charge of Bazar Town Outpost, lodged a formal complaint, leading to the registration of the case.

Police have identified two accused—Ataur Rahman, a Vodafone-Idea (Vi) distributor operating in the Dhubri-Dharmasala area, and Noor Islam, a Vi retailer based in Dhubri town.

Investigators alleged that the duo bypassed mandatory Know Your Customer (KYC) verification norms and activated SIM cards using forged or unauthorised identity documents before selling them to individuals seeking to conceal their identities.

According to the police, several of the illegally activated SIM cards were later linked to cyber-enabled crimes, including online financial fraud, phishing scams and so-called "digital arrest" frauds, in which criminals impersonate law enforcement or government officials to extort money from victims.

During searches, police seized two mobile phones and multiple SIM cards from the accused. A preliminary digital forensic examination of the seized devices reportedly uncovered material linking them to the alleged fraudulent activities.

The case has been registered under Sections 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 318(4) (cheating), 319(2) (cheating by personation), 337 (forgery), 336(3) (using forged documents as genuine) and 3(5) (joint liability) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The investigation has been entrusted to Sub-Inspector J.M. Kalita, who is probing the wider network behind the racket and attempting to identify other persons involved. Both accused have been produced before the Dhubri court, police said.