Cops unearth racket of selling ‘sim cards’ against fake verification, two held in Doda

Fake SIM card racket busted in Budgam, 3 arrested

01/07/2022

JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Jun 30: Police on Thursday busted a fake SIM card racket by arresting two persons involved in selling sim cards using a new modus operandi i.e. using details from ceojk.nic.in and then make new voter Id by using photoshop app in Doda district.
A police party led by SHO Gandoh Vikram Singh assisted by PSI Parvez Ali in district doda in a major crackdown against misuse of SIM cards and their fraudulent sale has booked SIM card vendors and Computer operator.
Doda police arrested above mentioned accused's in the face of ever increasing misuse of SIM cards in doda district of UT of J&K in connection with case FIR No. 45/2022 U/S 120-B, 420,468,471 IPC of Police Station Gandoh Doda
The statement further stated that Jaffer Hussain resident of Dudwar Gandoh who is the proprietor of "Jaffer communication Gwari Changa "who sold these SIM cards with the help of computer operator Mohd Tayab who use to make fake election cards in violation of department of Telecom regulations and in a manner that amounts to forgery and cheating.
Sr superintendent of police (SSP) Doda Abdul Qayoom said, “A SIM card vendor namely Zaffer Hussain, son of Noor Mohd Matoo a resident of Dudwar Tehsil Gandoh of Doda district, was allegedly hoodwinking both the administration as well as the common masses by issuing the sim cards on fake identities thereby putting the innocents, whose name have been used, into trouble if the sim is used otherwise to carry forward anti national activities or other criminal activities.”
“The racket has adopted a unique modus operandi – they were using the official website namely ceojk.nic.in which first they used to visit the website and then copy a CQR number as well as other details of a voter and then filling this information in a fake electoral card after that by using the photoshop they print the photo of the customer into it thereby generating a new electoral card but having a photograph of some other person- the customer,” SSP Doda Qayoom said. “Thereafter the recent photograph of the customer is clicked and sent for verification along with the fake electoral card thus a new SIM gets issued to a person having fake identity.”
SSP Doda said, “The above named SIM card vendor had been running the racket since long along with his associates namely Mohd Tayab son of Mohd Iqbal also hailing from Gandoh.”
During initial investigation, it was found that the vendor has issued almost (39) fake SIMs to different persons and there is an apprehension of increasing this number in coming days as the investigations are on.
“Meanwhile a case vide FIR No 45/2022 U/S 420/467/468/120B IPC stands registered in this context at Police Station Gandoh,” he said.
SSP Doda further apprehended that a large number of fake SIMs have been issued to both netizens and outsiders by such vendors across the district which may prove fatal for security as well as law and order of the district and also may support in carrying forward the diabolical plans of anti-national elements.
“The process has already been set into motion to identify such vendors and the users across the District so that the vendors may be brought to book at an earliest while users may be warned about use of unauthorized sims,” he added.
Meanwhile police in Budgam have busted a fake SIM card racket by arresting three persons involved in the commission of crime.
Police received specific information that, a group of PoS agents is operating in District Budgam and involved in cheating innocent people by forging their documents and using them as genuine to procure SIM cards for their personal interests and selling such SIM cards for criminal acts. Accordingly, a case vide FIR No. 201/2022 under relevant sections of law was registered at Police Station Budgam and investigation was taken up.
During the course of investigation, 03 persons identified as Iqbal Hussain Khanday son of Ghulam Mohammad resident of Sebdan, Mohammad Ishaq Bhat son of Bashir Ahmad resident of Kremshore and Ghulam Hassan Dar son of Ghulam Nabi resident of Razwen areas of Budgam were arrested.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the arrested trio was working as retail vendors and used to issue SIM cards on fictitious names by using the photographs of their agents, family members and themselves. Also, as a supporting identification document, some of the accused have used a forged seal of J&K Bank Branch Kremshore to prepare fake bank passbooks.
In order to unearth the whole module, a Special Investigation Team headed by ASP Budgam Shri Gowhar Ahmad-JKPS has been constituted to investigate the case thoroughly including terror angle and if during investigation any such evidences are found the relevant sections under ULA(P) shall be incorporated.
General public is hereby advised to remain cautious and acquire SIM cards through legal means after completing all verification processes and not to fall prey to the vested interests of SIM card scammers.

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