Cyber fraud racket: Man held for trying to send 198 SIM cards from Ludhiana to Cambodia
According to police, the accused, identified as Ajay Kumar, 30, from Geeta Bhawan Road in Gurdaspur had packed the SIM cards in two jeans and handed over the package to a courier company on Shingar Cinema Road for delivery in Cambodia
The Ludhiana police on Friday arrested a man linked to a gang operating from foreign land involved in cyber fraud for allegedly trying to send at least 198 SIM cards using ‘fake identities’ to Cambodia.
The accused in custody of police in Ludhiana. (HT Photo)
According to police, the accused, identified as Ajay Kumar, 30, from Geeta Bhawan Road in Gurdaspur had packed the SIM cards in two jeans and handed over the package to a courier company on Shingar Cinema Road for delivery in Cambodia.
When the courier company employees scanned the package, they found SIM cards in it and informed the police.
Assistant commissioner of police (ACP, Central) Sukhnaz Singh stated that when the police opened the package, they found 198 SIM cards of various companies stitched in the jeans.
“During questioning, the accused told police that he had worked as a waiter at a restaurant in Hong Kong, where he met some people, who claimed to work in a call centre. A year ago, he returned to India. Meanwhile, the gang members contacted him and asked him to arrange Indian SIM cards and send them through courier. They also promised to give him a commission of ₹150 for each SIM card,” the ACP said.
“The SIM cards are activated. The police are questioning the accused to know how he procured the SIM cards. It is suspected that he had procured SIM cards using fake identity cards of people,” he added.
A case under sections 487 and 420 of the IPC has been lodged against the accused at Division number 3 police station. The police are also trying to trace the accused to whom he was sending the SIM cards.
Police said that after returning to India from Hongkong, the accused stayed in Ludhiana for six months. He had come to Ludhiana to send the courier. He is presently working with a caterer as a waiter.
Further the ACP said that it is suspected that the gang that had asked Kumar to procure the SIM cards could be involved in cyber frauds and threatening people for extortion.