A nationwide operation against cybercrime networks has led to the arrest of 2 men from Odisha’s Bhadrak district for their alleged role in supplying pre activated SIM cards to cybercriminals.
Delhi Police arrested Santosh Khandei and Maheshwar Puntia on Sunday as part of a wider crackdown. Khandei is a mobile shop owner from Bhandaripokhari, while Puntia is a resident of Tarago village. Both are accused of selling pre activated SIM cards that were later used for cyber fraud.
The arrests followed raids carried out by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations unit of Delhi Police, with support from local police. The operations were conducted in Bhadrak and Jajpur districts on Saturday and Sunday.
“Khandei operated a mobile store, while Puntia procured SIM cards using forged documents. They supplied the pre activated SIMs to cyber scammers and received huge money in return,” a Bhadrak police officer said.
Police officials stated that anonymity is one of the biggest challenges in cybercrime investigations. Cyber offenders often depend on forged or pre activated SIM cards registered under fake identities, making them difficult to trace.
According to investigators, the accused activated multiple SIM cards using Aadhaar details of unsuspecting customers. While genuine customers were issued only 1 SIM, additional SIMs were activated at the same time and illegally sold to unknown buyers. These SIM cards were later linked to several criminal activities.
“Every cybercrime begins with a SIM card,” the police officer said, explaining that a mobile number is required for making fraudulent calls, sending phishing messages, creating fake social media accounts, and operating bank accounts.
Officials said cybercriminals actively look for fake or pre activated SIM cards to avoid detection. Recent enforcement actions indicate that Odisha has emerged as a key source of illegal SIM circulation, supporting cybercrime activities both within the state and outside it.
The extent of the issue came to public attention in May 2022, when the state crime branch uncovered a similar racket in Dhenkanal district. In that case, 3 people were arrested for allegedly working with interstate cybercriminals who created a fake WhatsApp account using the photo of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The account was used to message several MPs across states and seek money.
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