Malappuram: The mastermind behind the gang supplying SIM cards to online trading fraudsters, who stole Rs. 1 crore and eight lakh from Madikeri in Karnataka, has been arrested by the Malappuram cyber crime police. Abdul Roshan (46 years old) was apprehended by the Special Cyber Crime Squad under the guidance of Malappuram District Police Chief S Sasidharan. Roshan allegedly organized and provided SIM cards to the gang involved in extorting money from victims. One such victim, a young man from Vengara, fell prey to the scam after clicking on a sharemarket site link on Facebook. The fraudsters, posing as customer care representatives on WhatsApp, coerced the victim into depositing the said amount into various bank accounts.
Following an investigation by the cyber crime squad, a suspect allegedly involved in organizing the distribution of SIM cards was arrested based on a tip-off. Upon apprehension, the accused was found in possession of around 50,000 SIM cards from various mobile companies and over 180 mobile phones. Shockingly, it was revealed that many customers, like a young woman mentioned, were unaware that their names were associated with active mobile numbers used in such fraudulent activities. It is suspected that over 50,000 SIM cards, obtained without the knowledge of their rightful owners, might have been exploited for fraudulent purposes.
The arrest was made possible through the efforts of Cyber Police Inspector IC Chittaranjan, supported by DCRB DY SPVS Shaju, and members of the Special District Cyber Squad including Sub Inspector Najumuddin Mannissery and Police officers PM Shaijal Padipura, E.G. Pradeep, KM Shafi Pantrala, Raja Ratnam, and Munir PU from Madikeri Police Station, along with cyber experts from the Cyber Police Station.
