The Special Crime Team (SCT) of the Central Crime Station (CCS), Hyderabad, has arrested two persons in connection with an illegal SIM activation racket involving the misuse of customer KYC details. The arrests were made based on credible information, police officials said.
During the operation, the police seized 184 illegally activated SIM cards, including 150 Airtel SIMs and 34 Jio SIMs, along with four mobile phones from the possession of the accused.
The arrested persons have been identified as:
- Nanevath Dinesh Kumar Naik (22), son of Soma Shekar Nayak, a resident of Bhadripalle, Cuddapah district, Andhra Pradesh
- Parnapally Sai Pradeep (24), son of P. Ramakrishna, a resident of Proddatur, Cuddapah district, Andhra Pradesh
According to police, the accused were running a SIM distribution and promoter business in Cuddapah district and were illegally activating Airtel SIM cards by misusing customers KYC details and biometric fingerprints. These details were allegedly obtained from individuals who visited their outlet to purchase Vodafone-Idea SIM cards, without the customers’ knowledge or consent.
The illegally activated SIM cards were then transported to Hyderabad and sold at inflated prices, police said.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of law, and further investigation is underway to identify other persons involved in the racket.
Public Advisory
Police have advised citizens to exercise caution while purchasing SIM cards or updating KYC details. Customers are urged to avail such services only at authorized telecom network stores or service centers to prevent misuse of personal information.
