Wayanad: In Kalpetta, the Wayanad police apprehended a fraudster who forged a Kannur resident’s Aadhaar to obtain a premium SIM card, which was then sold for a substantial sum. Harish (27), originally from Chikbellapur, Karnataka, was arrested by the Wayanad Cyber Police in Karnataka. Acting on a case filed by Kalpatta BSNL officials, the police apprehended this major fraudster. The accused managed to secure a BSNL SIM card under the name of a Kannur native by obtaining a duplicate SIM through fraudulent documents. The Kalpatta BSNL customer care office was deceived with a fake Aadhaar card that had the accused’s photo manipulated to appear genuine.
Subsequently, this SIM card was transferred to Jio. To complete the porting process, the accused used yet another fake Aadhaar card, this time in the name of a Malappuram resident, and obtained a Jio SIM from the Manjeri Jio outlet using the same number. When the SIM card in the name of the Kannur resident stopped working, the BSNL office was contacted. An investigation at the Kalpatta BSNL office revealed the extent of the fraud. Cyber police investigations uncovered illegal operations involving gangs selling SIM cards with special numbers across the country. The purchaser of the fancy numbers was identified. Further investigation will lead to the apprehension of the accused. Their modus operandi involves procuring a SIM card with fake documentation and selling it in the lucrative fancy SIM market for hefty sums. Authorities are currently probing whether the accused obtained SIM card numbers of other individuals through the creation of counterfeit identification documents, and whether they profited from selling them.
The Wayanad District Police Chief, along with the officers from the Wayanad Cyber Crime Police Station, including Inspector SHO Shaju Joseph, ASI Suresh Kumar, Senior Civil Police Officers K. A Salam, Shukur, and Civil Police Officer Rijo Fernandes, collaborated to capture the suspect. The accused was presented in court and remanded. District Police Chief Padam Singh I urged the public to stay vigilant against gangs engaging in fraudulent activities, such as acquiring duplicate SIM cards through false documentation. He emphasized the importance of promptly updating KYC documents with service providers if one’s SIM card becomes inactive. Any instances of fraud should be promptly reported to the Cyber Police Station through the toll-free number 1930 Law Cyber, Mr. Padam Singh added.
