Airtel’s territory sales manager and two middlemen arrested in Silchar, Assam, for issuing illegal SIM cards.
Ghost SIM cards were allegedly sold to cybercriminals running scams from Southeast Asia.
CBI raids seized mobile phones, electronic devices, and forged KYC documents.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested an Airtel territory sales manager (TSM) along with two middlemen in Assam for their alleged role in an illegal SIM card racket linked to cyber scams, officials said on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Debashish Doley, an Airtel TSM from Silchar, and middlemen Mahim Uddin Barbhuiya and Ashim Purkayastha, were arrested following raids at five locations in Cachar district on Wednesday.
According to the Hindu, the trio colluded to issue unauthorized SIM cards, popularly known as “ghost SIM cards”, which were later sold to cybercriminals. These SIM cards have been linked to digital arrest scams and other online frauds targeting Indian citizens.
Explaining the modus operandi, officials said that when customers applied for new SIM cards, point-of-sale (PoS) operators would complete the e-KYC process twice. Customers were falsely informed that the first attempt had failed and were given a SIM from the second attempt. The first SIM issued without the customer’s knowledge was diverted to cybercriminals, enabling fraud under the customer’s identity.
According to Indian Express, the CBI stated that these ghost SIMs were used to deceive victims, create mule bank accounts, and launder money before closing accounts to erase the trail. “These sales violated established guidelines and were carried out illegally in bulk at high prices,” the CBI spokesperson said.
According to PTI, raids also led to the seizure of mobile phones, electronic devices, and forged KYC documents. Officials said the arrests are part of a wider crackdown on unauthorized SIM sales, following a May operation that exposed 1,100 ghost SIMs sold by 39 PoS operators.
The CBI emphasized that the action reflects the government’s commitment to tackling cybercrime and dismantling the infrastructure enabling such scams.
No immediate response has been issued by Airtel regarding the arrest of its employee
