In a startling development with national security implications, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has uncovered a racket involving the illegal activation and cross-border trafficking of mobile SIM cards from Sitapur to Nepal and Pakistan.
Acting on a complaint by ATS Inspector Arvind Kumar Pandey, the Khairabad police arrested Santram, a resident of Dharincha village in Sitapur district, for his alleged role in the operation.
Santram, who is only educated up to Class 8, was found in possession of fake Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, identity documents, multiple photographs and suspicious audio recordings. Preliminary investigations suggest that he is part of a wider cybercrime network with links to anti-national elements.
According to ATS sources, Santram had been activating mobile SIM cards using forged documents since 2022 and was operating under the guise of a POS (Point of Sale) agent of a private telecom operator. These SIM cards were reportedly sent to Nepal with the help of an associate from Pilibhit.
Some of these SIMs are suspected to have been used in anti-national activities, including cyber fraud and illicit communication across borders.
The ATS had been monitoring Santram’s activities for several weeks before making the arrest. He operated his latest outlet, Sachin Mobile Shop, near the Bijwar police post, where he was eventually apprehended.
Investigations have revealed that Santram expanded into cybercrime after initially starting out with mobile sales and repairs. He allegedly lured local residents into opening bank accounts, promising them `25,000 as incentive. These accounts were then used to transfer and withdraw funds obtained through cyber frauds, with Santram keeping a large share as commission.
Two of his bank accounts reportedly contain transactions running into lakhs of rupees, and the ATS is now probing his links with individuals in other states and possibly foreign entities.
In a further twist, police said Santram used photographs of his first wife, Shalu, along with forged documents to activate several SIM cards.
He had left Shalu about three years ago and married her sister, but continued to use Shalu’s identity for illegal activities. Investigators believe that he tampered with numerous Aadhaar cards and identity documents to facilitate his operations.
Santram’s sudden rise in wealth had already raised eyebrows in his village. Hailing from a family of laborers, his income grew rapidly after he opened a mobile shop outside Dharincha village in 2022. Within a short period, he purchased a bike, demolished his mud house, and constructed a 2,000 square-foot pucca home. He later shifted his business to Dhedhurai and finally to Bijwar, where he operated until his arrest.
This is not the first time Sitapur has found itself in the middle of a SIM card racket. In 2017, the ATS and local crime branch had recovered more
than 47,000 pre-activated SIM cards from Khairabad, Sandana, and nearby areas, along with a cache of fake
documents, mobile phones, laptops, passports, and activation forms. Those SIMs, too, were believed to be intended for cybercrime use.
The current arrest has reignited concerns about the use of fake identity-based SIMs in cross-border and anti-national operations. ATS officials have indicated that more arrests are likely as the investigation expands.
