Mumbai Crime Branch Arrests 23-Year-Old Man For Illegally Selling SIM Cards Without KYC In Govandi; 75 Cards Seized

Mumbai: The Crime Branch Unit 6 has arrested a man for illegally selling SIM cards without completing the mandatory KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure. The accused, Sameer Mehboob Khan (23), a resident of Shivajinagar, Govandi, was apprehended on May 19 around 10:15 PM following a sting operation based on a tip-off.

The Case has been registered under Sections 336(2), 336(3), 340(2), 319(2), 318(4) of BNS in Shivajinagar Police Station. Complainant is Police Constable Vidyanand Gorakhnath Shinde of Crime Branch Unit 6.

During the action, 75 SIM cards from various telecom operators (Vi, Airtel, Jio), Two mobile phones and Other related equipment Seized. Total Value of Seized Material is ₹58,200. This Action taken placed at Bainganwadi, Shivajinagar, Govandi and FIR Registered On May 20.

Acting on a tip-off received by Police Inspector Sushant Sawant of Unit 6, it was learned that the accused was misusing the biometric data of multiple customers—specifically, their eye scans and fingerprints—to activate SIM cards illegally. He then sold these SIM cards without proper KYC at inflated prices for personal gain.

To verify the information, a decoy customer was sent to the shop. Sameer Khan handed over a SIM card without asking for any documentation and accepted extra payment in return. He was immediately caught red-handed in front of witnesses, and the illegal items were confiscated. The accused was presented in court today, and further investigation is being conducted by Crime Branch Unit 6.