Assam: Five arrested for supplying pre-activated SIM cards to Pakistan agent
The accused had procured the SIM cards using documents of other mobile phone customers, activated the SIM cards, and sent them to Pakistan. They were also sending OTP codes to the agent in Pakistan.
GUWAHATI- Five people have been arrested for supplying pre-activated SIM cards to Pakistani agents. The men arrested have been identified as Ashiqul Islam, Bodor Uddin, Mijanur Rahman and Wahiduz Zaman, all from Nagaon, and Baharul Islam from Morigaon.
The arrests led to the recovery of incriminating materials such as several mobile phones, SIM cards, and a handset used to share defence information with a foreign embassy.
Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan, IGP (L&O) and Spokesperson of Assam Police told ANI that “The arrests were made with the help of a central intelligence agency after a probe report by that agency on the jihadi activities in the state found that 10 people were procuring SIM Cards from different service providers fraudulently and supplying those to some Pakistani agents. Out of these 10 suspects, five have been arrested, while the other five are absconding.
The accused had procured the SIM cards using documents of other mobile phone customers, activated the SIM cards, and sent them to Pakistan. They were also sending OTP codes to the agent in Pakistan.
Baharul Islam, one of the arrested accused, runs a mobile phone and computer shop, from where the agent in Pakistan was being contacted. Police also recovered 18 Mobile Phones, 136 SIM Cards and other items from their possession.
“During interrogation till now, it has been revealed that accused Ashiqul Islam was using a mobile handset with two IMEI numbers from which a Whatsapp call was made sharing Indian Defense System related information with a foreign embassy (input shared by IB).
That specific mobile handset was found in his possession. Other picked-up persons are also found technically involved in this connection. Thorough interrogation in collaboration with the IB officials is on,” Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan said.
A case has been registered at Nagaon Police Station under Section 120(B), 121(A), 419, 468, 471, 34 of IPC, R/W Sec 18, 18B, 19 of UA(P) Act, 1967.