Kanpur/New Delhi. Police have exposed a large-scale international cyber fraud network operating through an illegal call centre ecosystem in Delhi-NCR, recovering 12,383 activated SIM cards and arresting five accused. A Special Investigation Team has been formed to examine the wider racket, which investigators suspect was used for cyber scams, money laundering and cross-border misuse.
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OTP-Based SIM Activation Racket Uncovered
According to investigating agencies, the syndicate was allegedly activating SIM cards through OTP verification systems and selling them in the market for ₹600 to ₹800 each. Officials said these SIMs, originally worth around ₹100, were pre-activated and supplied to cybercriminal groups as part of an illegal telecom supply chain.
The SIM cards were allegedly used in investment scams, banking fraud, phishing, fake job rackets, impersonation cases and misuse of social media accounts. Investigators said the continuous supply of fresh mobile numbers made detection and tracking difficult for enforcement agencies.
The case surfaced after a Kanpur-based individual working in Hyderabad was cheated in a task-based online investment scam. The victim was allegedly lured through social media with promises of high returns and transferred nearly ₹3 lakh before reporting the fraud on the national cybercrime helpline 1930.
Five Arrested After Trail Leads to Delhi-NCR
During technical analysis, investigators traced a fraud-linked mobile number to a registered entity named Next Generation Enterprises in Ghaziabad. Further digital examination linked the operation to a high-tech illegal call centre functioning from Badarpur in Delhi.
Police said the network was believed to have been set up by former telecom employees and later expanded into a structured criminal enterprise. A raid near the Panki highway underpass led to the arrest of five accused identified as Rishi Sharma, Utsav Tyagi, Durgesh Kumar, Ajay Mittal and Sachin.
Investigators also found that nearly 20 women were employed at the call centre and were allegedly assigned to generate large volumes of OTPs daily through mobile devices and SIM-linked systems.
SIT to Probe Financial Trails and Foreign Links
According to police, the racket was activating around 1,200 to 1,500 SIM cards every month, while 200 to 250 OTP verifications were generated daily. Operations were allegedly coordinated through Telegram and WhatsApp groups, where instructions were issued and incentives were distributed based on performance.
Officials said the SIM cards were not only used for cyber fraud but were also allegedly linked to hawala transactions, threats, smuggling-related communication and suspected foreign-based digital activity. VPN traces and digital footprints were found linked to Pakistan, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Singapore, indicating a wider international footprint.
Cyber crime expert and former IPS officer Professor Triveni Singh described such networks as one of the most dangerous layers of the digital ecosystem. “When telecom fundamentals like SIM activation and OTP delivery are compromised, cyber fraud scales exponentially. Controlling such crime requires not only technological surveillance but strict regulation of the entire supply chain,” he said.
Of the 12,383 recovered SIM cards, nearly half were active at the time of seizure. Authorities said the SIT, led by senior crime officials, will examine financial trails, telecom records and international linkages to identify more operatives and dismantle the wider network.
