Crime
West Bengal SIM Card Racket Busted: Police Find 785 Numbers Linked to One Woman
The Kolkata Police have uncovered a large-scale fake SIM card racket, arresting multiple individuals, including 24-year-old Deblina Chakraborty, who allegedly had nearly 800 SIM cards issued in her name. The operation, spanning across the city and its suburbs, has led to the seizure of thousands of fraudulently obtained SIM cards, biometric devices, and other incriminating materials.
The Mastermind Behind the Scam
Authorities have identified Deblina Chakraborty as the biggest supplier of fake SIMs in West Bengal. She, along with her husband Anirban Saha, 28, and Ripan Saha, 22, was arrested on February 24 in a raid at Baguihati. Police recovered hundreds of SIM cards, multiple mobile phones, and biometric authentication machines from their possession.
According to Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rupesh Kumar, Chakraborty and her associates manipulated Point of Sale (POS) terminals of major telecom operators to activate fraudulent SIM cards. These were then sold to cybercriminals across India and abroad, including Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar, enabling various digital frauds.
How the Racket Worked
The investigation revealed that the gang duped people into sharing their identity documents, which were then misused to generate SIM cards sold at inflated rates. Chakraborty reportedly tricked customers into providing their thumb impressions multiple times, falsely claiming verification attempts had failed, while actually completing successful registrations in the backend.
These fake SIMs were linked to over 200 cybercrimes, including loan fraud, hacking, and digital scams. Some were used for SIM swap fraud, allowing criminals to gain unauthorized access to victims’ bank accounts.
Series of Raids and Arrests
The arrests of Chakraborty and her associates triggered multiple police raids across Kolkata, including Beliaghata, Topsia, Tiljala, Newtown, and Parnasree. The crackdown led to the seizure of more than 2,000 fake SIM cards in just a month. On February 25, the police arrested Sajal Mondal (33), Arijit Roy (33), MD. Reza (22), and Rajesh Mahato (28). Investigators also seized biometric devices embedded with fingerprint impressions in glue, indicating sophisticated forgery techniques used to bypass telecom security measures.
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Further raids on March 3 led to the arrest of Suvendu Gayen (30), a POS operator involved in activating fake SIMs using unsuspecting customers’ credentials. Based on Gayen’s confession, police arrested Jitendra Agarwal (43), a fake SIM dealer, who was caught with multiple active SIMs, fingerprint scanners, and cash.
The latest March 5 raid in Parnasree resulted in the arrests of Tanmoy Sarkar (34) and Dinesh Jana (41), along with the seizure of 1,222 SIM cards and biometric authentication devices.
Key Seizures and Legal Action
During the investigation, police recovered:
- Thousands of SIM cards (activated and raw)
- Biometric authentication machines used to bypass KYC checks
- Fingerprint-mimicking devices to fraudulently register SIMs
- Large amounts of cash and digital evidence
A case has been registered under Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act and multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including:
🔹 Criminal conspiracy (Section 61(2))
🔹 Cheating by impersonation (Section 319(2))
🔹 Forgery and fraudulent inducement (Sections 318(4), 336(2), 336(3), 338, 340(2))
Growing Concern Over SIM-Based Cybercrime
The Kolkata Police’s investigation highlights a growing cybersecurity threat, as fraudsters increasingly exploit loopholes in the SIM card registration process to carry out financial fraud, identity theft, and other cybercrimes.
Officials warn that unsuspecting individuals could have SIMs issued in their names without their knowledge, leading to serious legal and financial consequences. The case underscores the urgent need for stricter telecom regulations and enhanced KYC verification protocols to prevent such fraudulent activities.
The crackdown continues, with police tracking down remaining members of the syndicate and working to dismantle the entire fake SIM network operating in the region.