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The Cyber Command Unit of Karnataka has busted an illegal SIM box network operating from two apartments in Whitefield, Bengaluru, suspected to be linked to digital arrest, sextortion and financial frauds across India.
According to a press note issued by DGP, Cyber Command, Pronab Mohanty, on Wednesday, the operation was launched following a complaint by the Chief Circle Nodal Officer of Bharti Airtel Limited, Bengaluru, regarding the unauthorised use of Airtel SIM cards in a SIM box setup in Whitefield and Kadugodi areas. Following the complaint, the Cyber Crime Police Station (CCPS), Whitefield, registered Crime No. 286/2026 on August 26, 2026, and initiated a detailed investigation. The investigation led to the identification of two facilities operating in separate apartments under CCPS, Whitefield Division, one in Kadugodi and another in Pattandur Agrahara. During a special operation conducted along with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Karnataka, police recovered ten SIM boxes (GSM gateway) devices. At Kadugodi, six devices, each with 32 SIM slots, were recovered, with a total of 192 slots configured with e-SIM-provisioned connections of various telecom providers. At Pattandur Agrahara, four devices, each with 32 slots, were seized, taking the total to 128 slots. Together, the two facilities had a combined capacity of 320 SIM connections. The investigation has established that both facilities were set up and operated by the same criminal network. According to police, the devices formed part of an organised telecommunications setup used to facilitate fraudulent communications. The seized articles are being examined to establish their precise operational role. Preliminary leads suggest that the networks financial exposure could run into hundreds of crores of rupees. In a related development, police traced the e-SIM supply chain to Tiroda in Gondia district, Maharashtra, following leads regarding the alleged sale of SIM cards and their conversion into e-SIM profiles. Four accused, all residents of Tiroda, have been identified and arrested in connection with the e-SIM supply chain. Their arrests are being viewed as a breakthrough in tracing the procurement and provisioning of e-SIM resources used in the suspected cybercrime operation. Further investigation is underway to establish the role of each accused and determine links between the SIM/e-SIM supply chain and digital-arrest, sextortion and financial cyber fraud activities, police said. (ANI)
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