Sambalpur: Cyber crime police here busted a major racket allegedly involved in illegally issuing duplicate SIM cards by misusing customers’ identity documents and KYC details without their knowledge. Three people, including a woman, have been arrested in connection with the racket, police said Thursday. The arrested accused were identified as Suraj Bag, 24, of Panchafut village under Dhama police station; Malati Oram alias Mala, 29, of Singpali under Hirakud police station; and Sheikh Parwez alias Pappu, 32, of Motijharan area under Dhanupali police station. Cyber DSP Iswar Tandi said the accused operated through three separate agencies Suraj Stores, Mala Communication and Emanuel Communication as authorised telecom retailers.
They allegedly set up company canopies along roadsides and sold SIM cards to customers. Bag allegedly worked as a SIM activation agent. When a customer came to obtain a SIM card, he would activate one in the customer’s name and, without the customer’s knowledge, activate an additional duplicate SIM using the same identity and KYC details.
The duplicate SIM was then retained by the accused and allegedly sold to fraudsters. Police said the duplicate SIM cards were supplied through Sheikh Parvez to fraudsters based in Jamtara, Jharkhand, for between Rs 800 and Rs 1,500 each. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the SIM cards were being used in various financial and cyber crimes across the country, Tandi said. The accused are suspected to have activated and sold more than 200 such SIM cards, police said. During the investigation, police seized 120 sealed Airtel SIM cards, four mobile phones, bank passbooks, cheque books, a house-rent agreement, an Airtel 5G signboard and several affidavit documents from the accused.
A special team of Sambalpur police has gone to Jamtara to investigate the wider network and ascertain how far the racket extends. A case (34/2026) has been registered at Sambalpur Cyber Police Station. The three accused were produced in court Thursday, police said.
