In a significant breakthrough, the Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttarakhand Police has successfully dismantled a sophisticated counterfeit SIM card racket, culminating in the apprehension of its alleged orchestrator from Delhi. This revelation, announced by officials on Thursday, sheds light on a meticulously planned operation that had ramifications reaching across state borders.
At the heart of this operation was Mudassir Mirza, a resident of Turkman Gate in Delhi's Chandni Mahal area, whose arrest marked a crucial milestone in the STF's ongoing efforts to combat cybercrime. Senior Superintendent of Police Ayush Aggarwal, overseeing the STF's cybercrime division, disclosed that Mirza was found in possession of a staggering 3,000 fake SIM cards at the time of his arrest. These SIM cards, meticulously acquired and deployed, were integral to the execution of Mirza's fraudulent activities.
The unraveling of this elaborate scheme can be traced back to a complaint filed by a resident of Dehradun, who alleged having fallen victim to a financial scam amounting to a staggering Rs 80 lakh. According to Aggarwal, the complainant had been enticed by promises of lucrative investment opportunities in the stock market, propagated through social media platform Facebook. The subsequent investigation led the authorities to Mirza's doorstep and eventually resulted in his apprehension late one Tuesday night.
The modus operandi employed by Mirza was as elaborate as it was insidious. Utilizing M2M (Machine-to-Machine) SIM cards, typically employed in smart devices for automated communication, Mirza had engineered a fictitious company purportedly engaged in the installation of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) systems.
Under the guise of this non-existent enterprise, Mirza managed to secure a staggering cache of approximately 45,000 SIM cards—comprising 29,000 from Airtel and 16,000 from Vodafone-Idea—a testament to the scale and ambition of his illicit endeavors.
These SIM cards, once procured, were not merely hoarded for personal use but strategically disseminated among a network of collaborators, who would leverage them to perpetrate a variety of cyber frauds. From bogus investment schemes to enticing unsuspecting victims with false promises of financial gain, Mirza's operation was as multifaceted as it was pernicious.
Senior law enforcement officials, including SSP Aggarwal, have unequivocally labeled this enterprise as a national-level scam, underscoring the far-reaching implications of Mirza's actions. With the arrest of Mirza serving as a pivotal breakthrough, the STF has intensified its efforts to unravel the intricate web of deceit that he and his associates had spun.
Crucially, the information divulged by Mirza following his apprehension has provided valuable leads for law enforcement agencies. STF teams have been promptly dispatched to various locations, their mandate clear: to meticulously investigate every lead and unearth any additional evidence pertinent to this sprawling criminal enterprise.
As the investigation unfolds, the arrest of Mudassir Mirza stands as a testament to the unwavering commitment of law enforcement agencies in combating cybercrime. It also serves as a stark reminder of the ever-evolving nature of criminal enterprises in the digital age, underscoring the imperative for constant vigilance and proactive measures to safeguard against such nefarious activities.
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