The Karnataka Cyber Command Unit has uncovered an illegal SIM box network operating from 2 locations in Bengaluru and arrested 4 people suspected of involvement in the e-SIM supply chain. Investigators are examining possible links between the network and digital arrest scams, sextortion and financial fraud cases reported across India.
According to police, the investigation began after the Chief Circle Nodal Officer of Bharti Airtel Limited in Bengaluru filed a complaint with the Whitefield Cyber Crime police station over the suspected unauthorised use of Airtel SIM cards.
Working with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Karnataka, police identified 2 facilities allegedly operated by the same network in Pattandur Agrahara and Kadugodi.
During a raid at an apartment in Kadugodi, officers seized 6 SIM box devices, each equipped with 32 SIM slots. Together, the devices had a capacity of 192 SIM connections configured with e-SIM-enabled connections from various telecom service providers.
At the Pattandur Agrahara location, police recovered another 4 SIM box devices, each with 32 SIM slots, providing a combined capacity of 128 SIM connections.
The investigation has uncovered indications of a wider cybercrime network, with suspected links to digital arrest scams, sextortion and other financial cyber frauds. Police suspect that the seized equipment formed part of an organised telecommunications setup used to facilitate fraudulent communications and related cybercrime activities.
The recovered devices are being examined to determine their exact operational roles and establish their connections to the suspected offenders.
A senior police officer said preliminary findings point to the possibility of substantial financial exposure across the wider network, potentially running into hundreds of crores of rupees. However, the number of victims, the actual financial losses and the full scale of the operation have not yet been confirmed. These details remain subject to further investigation and coordination between agencies.
Police also traced leads to Tiroda in Maharashtra’s Gondia district, where 4 people were arrested over their alleged involvement in supplying e-SIM resources. The accused are suspected of helping procure and provide e-SIM facilities allegedly used in the operation.
Further investigation is under way to determine the individual roles of the accused, identify other people involved and establish possible links between the SIM and e-SIM supply chain and the suspected cybercrime network.
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