Operation ‘Ghost SIM’
Staff Reporter
Guwahati: In a significant crackdown on cybercrime and anti-national activities, the Assam Police launched an operation named 'Ghost SIM' to dismantle a major fake SIM card racket with international connections. A total of 7 persons were arrested from different locations, and 948 SIM cards were recovered.
The operation conducted on the basis of intelligence input from Gajraj Military Intelligence was disclosed by Director General of Police (DGP) Harmeet Singh and Guwahati Commissioner of Police Partha Sarathi Mahanta at a press briefing on Saturday.
The racket involved the use of fraudulent SIM cards to create WhatsApp (WA) accounts, with OTPs sourced from the owners of random phone numbers for activation, before being routed to Pakistan. These WA accounts appeared to be domestic but were being operated from locations outside the country and were used for cyber fraud and anti-India activities, with the OTPs shared with entities in Pakistan, thus posing a grave threat to national security.
DGP Harmeet Singh said that information was received from Gajraj Military Intelligence about a racket involving fake SIM cards operating with bases in Assam, Rajasthan, and Telangana. This information was further analysed and developed into actionable input by the Special Branch and Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police. After strategic deliberation, an operation was planned to be carried out simultaneously in two districts of Assam, one district in Telangana, and two districts in Rajasthan. The operation was named Operation Ghost SIM. On May 14, a case was registered by STF, Assam, vide STF PS Case No. 02/2025 under Sections 61(2)/147/148/62 of BNS, read with Section 18 of the UA(P) Act and Section 66 of the IT Act, and an investigation was launched.
Accordingly, teams were dispatched to Rajasthan and Telangana, while dedicated action teams were formed for the districts of Dhubri and Morigaon in Assam. The operation was launched in the afternoon of May 16, and seven persons were picked up from various locations and arrested in connection with the case, the DGP said.
Those arrested include i) Saddik (47) of Bela, district Bharatpur, Rajasthan; ii) Arif Khan (20) of Sahodi Ka Bar, Sahori, Alwar, Rajasthan; iii) Sajid (21) of Akbarpur, Alwar, Rajasthan; iv) Akeek (25) from Rojki, Bharatpur, Rajasthan was arrested at Guwahati airport; v) Arsad Khan (34) of Pendka in Nagar, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, who was arrested at New Delhi airport; vi) Mofijul Islam (19) of Kathaldi Pt-II, Bilasipara, district Dhubri, Assam, who was arrested at Gollapally, Telengana; and vii) Jakariya Ahmad (24) of Sagunmari Pt-IV, Bilasipara, Dhubri, Assam.
The DGP further said that, besides the persons named above, 14 more persons have been picked up from different places of Dhubri, and necessary action will be taken after proper interrogation.
Harmeet Singh also said that 948 SIM cards and other technical devices were recovered.
The DGP also appealed to people to be wary of WA calls seeking information, including those of a sensitive nature.
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