Hyderabad: An investigation into the illegal sale of SIM cards after cybercrime police uncovered a network supplying SIM cards without proper identity verification has revealed that the accused suppliers earned Rs 50,000 for supplying 100 SIM cards.
Arrest and Modus Operandi
In April, Ateeq Ahmed, a Talab Katta resident, was arrested by Hyderabad’s cybercrime police. He was allegedly illegally sourcing SIM cards, which were then supplied to agents who, in turn, passed them on to cyber fraudsters operating in Dubai, Cambodia and Laos. Ateeq also ran a kiosk to sell SIM cards locally.
Hyderabad police said none of the accused involved in the case have been granted bail so far.
Commission Structure
“Ateeq’s associate, Syed Ashraf Ali, requested him to arrange SIM cards without proper ID verification and offered a commission of Rs 500 per SIM card. Due to financial constraints, Ateeq agreed and began procuring SIM cards by misusing the Aadhaar details of genuine customers without their knowledge, under the pretext of repeated verification or authentication,” the police told a local court in Nampally during a bail hearing.
On three occasions, he allegedly supplied 105 SIM cards to his associate and received a commission of Rs 52,500. Similarly, Syed Sohail, also from Talab Katta, earned Rs 35,000 for providing 70 SIM cards by supplying them to Ali, who in turn sent them to fraudsters operating from foreign countries.
Legal Proceedings
In both cases, the court recently rejected their bail applications, and they continue to remain in judicial remand for allegedly facilitating illegally obtained SIM cards.
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