The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Assam has busted a cybercrime gang that was luring women with the promise of handloom training programmes, collecting their KYC documents under the guise of enrolment, and then misusing those documents to activate SIM cards and open mule bank accounts used to channel the proceeds of cybercrimes.
Five persons were arrested during coordinated raids in Kamrup district on Sunday as part of a major crackdown by the Cyber Police Station of the CID, Assam.
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According to investigators, the gang invited women to apply for handloom training programmes and asked them to submit personal identification documents for enrolment. Those documents were never used for any legitimate training purpose — instead, they were used to fraudulently activate SIM cards and open bank accounts in the victims' names.
These accounts then functioned as mule accounts, receiving and routing money connected to cybercrime operations.
The scale of the operation became clear from the volume of material seized during the raids. Police recovered KYC documents belonging to more than 1,000 individuals — pointing to what investigators described as large-scale identity misuse.
Other items seized included 54 bank passbooks issued in different names, 10 blank cheque books, five unused debit cards, 1,000 unissued SIM cards, and around 500 issued SIM card covers.
Investigators also found that the accused had been illegally dealing in nearly 200 SIM cards in violation of telecom regulations, and preliminary analysis linked several of the seized SIM cards to cyber fraud cases registered in other states.
Evidence gathered during the investigation suggested that some of the phone numbers were being used in SIMBOX operations — a method through which fraudulent international calls are routed through local networks to hide their origin.
Investigators said the activity appears connected to a wider interstate cybercrime syndicate, and further probe is underway.
A suo motu case (01/2026) has been registered under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The five arrested individuals were identified as Moinul Hoque of Kalita Kuchi under Hajo police station, Moon Kalita and Kangakan Kalita of Sauramuri under Kayan police station, Hirak Jyoti Kalita of Balisatra under Kayan police station, and Mostakim Ahmed of Dhuhi under Kayan police station.