Cops Arrest Mobile Phone Agents For Illegal SIMs Sale
184 illegal SIMs seized in Hyderabad–Cuddapah network bust
Hyderabad: The special crime team of the Central Crime Station (CCS), Hyderabad City, in coordination with the Nampally police, on Sunday arrested two persons for possessing and selling illegally activated SIM cards.
Acting on credible information, the CCS special crime team apprehended the accused while they were planning to sell illegal SIM cards. Police seized 184 illegally activated SIM cards — including 150 Airtel and 34 Jio connections — along with four mobile phones, a senior police officer said.
The police said the accused were agents authorised to sell and activate SIM cards. However, they allegedly diverted customers’ attention during the activation process and, through double-clicking, managed to generate an additional SIM card under a single KYC number.
The accused were identified as Nanevath Dinesh Kumar Naik (22), who runs a SIM distribution business under the name Lavanya Enterprises in Cuddapah, and Parnapally Sai Pradeep (24), an Airtel SIM promoter. Both are natives of Cuddapah district in Andhra Pradesh, CCS-ACP G. Venkateswar Reddy said.
According to police, the accused illegally activated new Airtel SIM cards using the KYC details and fingerprints of customers who visited their outlet to purchase Vodafone-Idea SIM cards, without the customers’ knowledge or consent. The illegally activated SIM cards were later transported to Hyderabad and sold at inflated prices.
The arrests were made by Inspector D. Bikshapathi of the Special Crime Team along with his staff, under the supervision of ACP G. Venkateswar Reddy.
Police said the case is under investigation and further arrests are likely. The accused were handed over to Nampally police for further investigation.
Meanwhile, police have advised citizens to remain vigilant while purchasing new SIM cards or updating KYC details and to do so only at authorised network stores and centres.
