Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police have arrested three Point of Sale (POS) agents in connection with the alleged illegal issuance of SIM cards. The three accused were linked with two different private telecom operators, police said.
The latest arrests came during an ongoing investigation into the misuse of SIM cards in cyber fraud and other online crimes. Police said that five SIM collection agents had already been arrested in the case. With the latest arrests, the total number of people held in the case has reached eight. According to investigators, some SIM cards were issued without following proper verification rules. Police suspect that these activated SIM cards were later passed to cybercrime groups, allegedly in return for high commissions.
Investigators also found that some POS vendors may have used gaps in the Know Your Customer (KYC) process. In some cases, personal details were allegedly collected by roadside retailers and used for unauthorised SIM swaps. Police also found applications involving fake or mismatched identity documents. Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police are now checking telecom retailers, POS agents and distributor networks across the city. The investigation is aimed at finding other members of the alleged network and understanding how the SIM cards were supplied to cybercrime groups. Police said further legal action will follow as the investigation continues.
