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Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
‘Operation Ghost SIM': Assam man who helped route fake numbers to Pakistan-based WhatsApp accounts arrested
The Assam Police on Saturday night arrested the prime accused in a fake SIM card racket allegedly linked to Pakistan, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 11 since May 16. The crackdown is part of ' Operation Ghost SIM ', a joint effort initiated by the state police based on intelligence inputs from the Indian Army. The accused, Mostafa Rahman (29), was nabbed by the Special Task Force (STF) from Pokalagi Part III village in the Dhubri district of lower Assam. He is believed to be a key operator in the racket that generated and circulated SIM cards using fake identities for cybercrime and anti-national activities . During the arrest, police recovered critical evidence including: One laptop Two mobile phones Three micro ATM machines One biometric device Six ATM cards Eleven voter ID cards An Aadhaar card and a PAN card 'Further interrogation of the accused is currently underway,' Assam Police said in a statement. Live Events SIMs used to create WhatsApp accounts for Pakistan-based operatives Launched on May 16, 'Operation Ghost SIM' unearthed a network operating out of Assam, Rajasthan, and Telangana, where fraudulently obtained SIM cards were allegedly being used to support cybercrime operations and sensitive communications with Pakistani agents. According to the police, the accused procured SIM cards using documents of unsuspecting citizens and used them to activate WhatsApp accounts that appeared to be Indian, but were allegedly operated by anti-national actors. 'In this case, there seems to be clear evidence that some of these numbers have been shared across and are being used by inimical elements,' a senior police officer said. Accused face terror, cybercrime, and conspiracy charges The case has been registered under multiple serious provisions, including: Criminal conspiracy Waging or attempting to wage war against the Government of India (under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) Sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967 Information Technology (IT) Act The first arrests under this operation were made in Assam, Rajasthan, and Telangana on May 16, with seven individuals taken into custody. The arrest of Rahman marks a significant step in uncovering the larger network behind what officials have called a 'national security threat disguised as digital fraud.'
The Print
3 days ago
- The Print
Prime accused in SIM racket arrested: Assam Police
The operation was conducted based on input provided by Gajraj Corps' Military Intelligence. The accused was apprehended by the Special Task Force (STF) of the state police force on Saturday night from Dhubri under ongoing 'Operation Ghost SIM', it said. Guwahati, Jun 1 (PTI) A prime accused in an inter-state racket, which provided SIM cards to cybercriminals including Pakistanis for opening WhatsApp accounts to dupe people, has been arrested by Assam Police, an official statement said on Sunday. One laptop, two mobile phones, three micro ATM machines, one biometric device, six ATM Cards, 11 voter ID cards, one Aadhaar card and one PAN card were recovered during the operation, the statement said. The total number of accused persons arrested under 'Operation Ghost SIM' is now at 11. 'Further interrogation of the accused is currently underway. Updates will be provided as the investigation progresses,' the statement added. The STF had busted the inter-state racket under 'Operation Ghost SIM', with the arrest of seven persons in the first success last month. The operation was launched based on information provided by Military Intelligence about the racket operating with bases in Assam, Rajasthan and Telangana, Director General of Police (DGP) Harmeet Singh had said earlier. The racket procured SIM cards under different names and dispatched these to criminals who used those for cybercrime and also 'anti-national activities', he said. PTI SSG SSG ACD This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Prime accused in Pak-linked fake SIM cards case arrested
Guwahati: A prime accused in the fake SIM card racket with a Pakistan link case under 'Operation Ghost SIM' was arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police. This raised the total of arrests to 11 since May 16. The prime accused, Mostafa Rahman (29), a resident of Pokalagi Part III village under the jurisdiction of Golokganj police station in lower Assam's Dhubri district, was arrested on Saturday night. Police recovered one laptop, two mobile phones, three micro ATM machines, one biometric device, six ATM cards, 11 voter ID cards, one Aadhar card, and one PAN card. "Further interrogation of the accused is currently underway," police said. ' Operation Ghost SIM' was launched by Assam Police based on Army intelligence on May 16. The police busted the racket involving fake SIM cards being used from bases in Assam, Rajasthan, and Telangana for cybercrimes and anti-national activities, including sensitive information sharing with agents in Pakistan. Seven persons were arrested at that time. The arrests were made in Rajasthan and Telangana and Assam. Police said the accused used to take SIM cards in someone else's name. The cards were used not only for cybercrimes but also for anti-national activities. "In this case, there seems to be clear evidence that some of these numbers have been shared across and are being used by anti-national elements and inimical elements to use WhatsApp accounts that look as if they are India-based," police said. Charges of 'criminal conspiracy' and 'waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against the Govt of India' under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), as well as different charges under the 'Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967' and 'IT Act', were slapped on the arrestees.
Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
'Operation Ghost SIM': 7 held for providing mobile connections to cybercriminals, including Pakistanis
Seven people were arrested as the Assam Police on Saturday claimed to have busted an inter-state racket that provided mobile phone connections to cybercriminals, including Pakistanis, for opening WhatsApp accounts to dupe people. Addressing a press conference, DGP Harmeet Singh said 'Operation Ghost SIM' was launched based on information provided by military intelligence about a racket operating with bases in Assam, Rajasthan and Telangana. "The Gajraj Corps' military intelligence wing had got the primary input about this fake SIM card racket. They worked on it, which led them to the Pakistan connection. This information was further developed into actionable inputs by the Special Branch and Special Task Force of the Assam Police," he said. The racket procured SIM cards in different names and dispatched them to criminals who used them for duping people and "anti-national activities", the DGP said. "A case was registered by the STF on May 14 and the arrests were made since Friday afternoon in simultaneous raids in two districts of Assam, one district of Telangana and two districts of Rajasthan," he added. Singh said that apart from helping cybercriminals in the country get new mobile connections, the racket provided criminals in Pakistan with WhatsApp accounts having Indian numbers. Victims believed that they were receiving calls from Indian numbers, but in reality, those were made from Pakistan, he said. Fifteen people are being questioned, and among them are those in whose names the SIM cards were issued, the DGP said. A total of 948 SIM cards were seized, along with other electronic devices, he said.
India Today
19-05-2025
- India Today
Operation ‘Ghost SIM' busts multi-state fake phone racket linked to Pakistan
In a sweeping multi-state operation named 'Operation Ghost SIM', law enforcement agencies uncovered a sophisticated fake SIM card racket allegedly linked to cybercrimes and anti-national activities, including intelligence gathering for Pakistan-based agents. A total of 948 SIM cards and other technical devices have been recovered during the operation, signalling the scale of the operation, led by the Assam Police's Special Branch and Special Task Force, was initiated following actionable intelligence from Gajraj Military Intelligence (the intelligence arm of the Indian Army's IV Corps, headquartered in Tezpur, Assam, and responsible for gathering and analysing information relevant to the Corps' operational area and objectives. It actively collaborates with other agencies to counter threats to national security), regarding unauthorised SIM cards being used from Assam, Rajasthan and to Assam DGP, Harmeet Singh, the intelligence suggested that these SIM cards were being deployed for various cyber offences and to collect sensitive information potentially exploited by foreign intelligence operatives. The inputs were thoroughly developed by Assam Police, in strategic coordination with Gajraj Corps, leading to a plan for a coordinated crackdown across five districts in three states. A formal case was registered on May 14, at the Special Task Force Police Station in Assam. The charges include, under various sections of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, criminal conspiracy, waging war against the Government of India, abetment, and attempts to commit serious offences. The case also invokes Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Section 66 of the Information Technology teams were dispatched to Telangana and Rajasthan, while dedicated ground units were mobilised in Dhubri and Morigaon districts of Assam. The joint operation was launched on the afternoon of May 16, leading to the arrest of seven individuals, most of them natives of Rajasthan and Assam. They were identified as Saddik, a 47-year-old resident of Bela in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district; 20-year-old Arif Khan and 21-year-old Sajid, both natives of Sahodi Ka Bar in Alwar district, Rajasthan; 24-year-old Jakariya Ahmad, a native of Dhubri, Assam. Arsad Khan (34), who hails from Bharatpur's Pendka region, was apprehended at New Delhi airport; while 19-year-old Mofijul Islam, a native of Dhubri district in Assam, was arrested in a farm worker, was held in Telangana's Sangareddy district by Assam Police for allegedly selling SIM cards to individuals in Pakistan. His mobile phone was seized and police sources confirmed that the Special Task Force is continuing to analyse call data records. Islam was found to have brought 10 SIM cards with him when he arrived in Telangana. He reportedly told police that each SIM was sold for Rs 2,000 without any identity the time of his arrest, three SIM cards were recovered alongside the one in his phone, while the remaining six had reportedly been distributed to others. Assam Police are currently in the process of tracing how many SIM cards were sold, to whom, and the broader implications of the addition to these arrests, 14 more individuals were taken into custody from various locations in Dhubri. Police officials stated that further lawful action will follow after thorough inputs from India Today North East team IN THIS STORY#Assam#Telangana#Rajasthan
