New Delhi: Delhi Police has arrested two men from Mathura for allegedly running an e-SIM racket linked to cyber frauds worth over Rs 2.6 crore. The accused allegedly procured, activated and supplied thousands of SIM cards and e-SIMs that were later used in digital-arrest and other cybercrime scams.
The accused, Jitendra Singh (29) and Brajesh Kumar (21), were arrested during a raid in Mathura’s Kota village on Oct 21, police said.
During interrogation, the duo allegedly admitted to procuring, activating and supplying physical SIM cards and e-SIMs for nearly a year and activating more than 3,000 SIMs during that period. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in Delhi Stay updated with the latest Delhi news.
The accused organised fake health camps in villages and offered medicines at discounted rates to obtain biometric and personal details of residents, which were then used to procure SIM cards, according to investigators. The probe began after a Delhi resident alleged that he had been kept under “digital arrest” for more than two weeks and coerced into transferring Rs 1.6 crore through multiple transactions after receiving threatening WhatsApp calls . Further, police found a link between the SIMs allegedly used by the accused with digital arrest complaints received under the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, with further investigation revealing a suspected network of fake e-SIM distribution by the accused,” said DCP Gaurav Tyagi. Police said the accused frequently changed mobile phones and destroyed old devices to avoid detection.
They allegedly also sourced activated e-SIMs through online groups and messaging platforms and resold them for use in cybercrime operations. “Analysis of the phone numbers involved led police to the Vrindavan-Mathura region. Three mobile phones allegedly used in the frauds have been recovered. Further investigation, including into suspected foreign links, is underway. Download the TOI App.