Mumbai, Jan 08: In a major breakthrough, the Crime Intelligence Unit, with assistance from the Uttar Pradesh STF (Lucknow), has arrested a man who allegedly procured more than 10,000 SIM cards using forged documents and supplied them to cybercriminals across India and abroad.
Accused identified, evaded digital trail
The accused has been identified as Sihan Imtiyaq Shaikh (35), originally from Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh, who has been living in Mumbai for the past 25 years.
According to police, Shaikh worked with a tours and travel company but cleverly avoided detection by never using any electronic gadget registered in his own name.
During the investigation, it was found that he used mobile phones and SIM cards registered in a friend’s name to evade law enforcement. His family continues to reside in Uttar Pradesh.
SIM cards supplied to international cybercrime syndicates
The probe revealed that Shaikh brought over 10,000 SIM cards from Pratapgarh and sold them in Mumbai. Many of these SIM cards were allegedly sold at inflated rates to foreign nationals.
A substantial number were supplied to cybercrime syndicates operating from Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, where they were used for various fraud operations.
These SIM cards were used in digital arrest scams, online share market trading scams, parcel scams, gaming app fraud and other cyber financial crimes.
FIR registered, reward announced
An FIR was registered against the organised gang supplying fake SIM cards at Rajapur Police Station in Uttar Pradesh under IPC Sections 465, 467, 468, 471, 419, 420 and 34, along with IT Act Sections 66(D) and 66(C).
The gang allegedly procured thousands of SIM cards using forged documents and provided them to cybercriminals. During the investigation, Uttar Pradesh police received confidential information that the wanted accused was hiding in Colaba, Mumbai.
A non-bailable warrant had been issued against Shaikh by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (Uttar Pradesh), and the Banda Police Zone had announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information leading to his arrest.
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Arrest made in joint operation
Acting on the intelligence, the Crime Intelligence Unit and STF Lucknow jointly conducted a raid and arrested Shaikh from Stand Road, Colaba. The accused has been handed over to the Uttar Pradesh STF for further investigation.
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