In a significant breakthrough against digital fraud, the Baleshwar Cyber Police have arrested two individuals for allegedly orchestrating a nationwide cybercrime operation using SIM cards procured through forged documents.
The arrested accused have been identified as Pintu Parida of Kashimabad (under Sadar Police limits) and Sanjay Kumar Das of Mandarpur (under Remuna Police limits). Following the arrests, police confiscated a substantial cache of assets, including a car, ₹19,500 in cash, 16 mobile phones, 50 counterfeit SIM cards, a laptop, and 75 grams of gold jewelry.
According to police officials, the syndicate’s modus operandi involved stealing the identities of innocent citizens to illegally activate SIM cards. These numbers were then heavily utilized to execute various cyber frauds across the country.
The investigation has revealed a deep-rooted network exploiting telecom loopholes. The accused allegedly colluded with Point of Sale (POS) agents of various telecommunication providers. Using specialized POS codes, they bypassed security protocols to activate SIM cards in the names of unsuspecting individuals, ultimately funneling them into organized criminal activities.
The scale of the operation is vast. Authorities confirmed that the arrested duo is already linked to 105 separate complaints registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) by victims from multiple states.
Addressing a press conference, Additional Superintendent of Police (SP) Debajyoti Dash stated that the investigation is actively expanding. Police are now scrutinizing the role of telecom POS employees and other associates involved in this illegal network.
A formal case (Case No. 38/26) has been registered under the Cyber Crime division. The accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Information Technology (IT) Act, and the Telecommunications Act. Further investigation is underway to dismantle the remaining nodes of this fraud ring.
