Chennai, May 10 (UNI) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday

conducted searches at 42 locations in eight states and arrested five people

under ongoing Operation Chakra-V against Transnational Organised

Cybercrime/Digital Arrest and to crackdown on sales of unauthorized SIM

cards used in Cybercrime.

In continuation of ongoing efforts to curb Cybercrime/digital arrest cases as part

of Operation Chakra –V, CBI launched searches at multiple locations on premise

of various Point of Sale Agents of Telecom Operators, allegedly acting in connivance

with Cybercrime criminals and unknown executive of Telecom Service providers in

issuing SIMs cards which are subsequently used in illegal activities involving digital

arrest, impersonation, fraudulent advertisement, investment fraud, UPI frauds, etc.

In concerted efforts to curb the sale and misuse of unauthorized SIM cards issued

by various Point of Sale (PoS) Agents of Telecom Operators, CBI conducted searches

at premises of 38 Point of Sale Agents across multiple location covering eight States

viz, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka

and Tamil Nadu.

The searches led to seizure of incriminating documents/articles such as mobile phones,

electronic devices, copies of KYC documents and identification of individuals including

middlemen involved in distribution of unauthorized SIM cards and seizure of movable

property acquired from crime proceeds, a CBI release said.

CBI arrested five persons from four states in view of their involvement in selling of SIM

cards unauthorizedly by violating the KYC norms in conspiracy.

The action is part of ongoing commitment of the Union Government to severely deal with

cybercrime and its perpetrators with a special emphasis on dismantling the infrastructure

behind such offences.

The investigation is under progress.

UNI GV 1910