Bengal: Forged Documents for Mobile SIMs Pose New Threat to Security Forces
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Synopsis
In Kolkata, cross-border criminals are acquiring mobile SIM cards through forged documents, causing significant challenges for security agencies, especially in Murshidabad district. With 99% of registered users unaware of the misuse, this issue underscores the need for vigilant monitoring.
Key Takeaways
- Pre-activated SIM cards are being acquired with forged identity documents.
- Cross-border criminals exploit both nonexistent and existing individuals for SIM registration.
- 99% of affected individuals are unaware of the misuse of their SIMs.
- Unethical local dealers play a significant role in the SIM procurement process.
- Multiple biometric imprints are being misused to activate additional SIMs.
Kolkata, March 1 (NationPress) Mobile SIM cards acquired through forged Indian identity documents by cross-border criminals operating at India’s international borders with Bangladesh, specifically in Murshidabad district, have emerged as a significant challenge for security agencies.
According to sources from the state police, these pre-activated SIM cards are obtained through two primary methods. The first involves cross-border criminals acquiring these SIM cards by presenting forged identity documents in the name of a third individual, who may not even exist.
The second method is considerably more concerning. In this scenario, the pre-activated SIM is registered under the name of a legitimate person who exists, but the SIM is being misused by another individual engaged in illicit activities.
In nearly 99 percent of these incidents, police sources report, the actual individual in whose name the mobile SIM is registered is completely unaware that their SIM is being exploited.
Typically, these pre-activated SIMs are sold to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants entering India during their period of concealment in the border villages before they obtain fake Indian identity documents.
The pre-activated mobile SIMs registered under the names of existing third parties are sourced through the actions of some unscrupulous local mobile service dealers. When a legitimate customer approaches them to purchase a SIM using their genuine identity documents, these dealers often retain an additional photocopy of those documents.
Subsequently, using these extra photocopies, the dealer pre-activates another SIM in the name of the original customer and then sells that SIM at a premium to a third party.
In such cases, these unethical dealers also commit forgery while collecting biometric imprints from genuine consumers.
Sources indicate that many genuine customers are unaware that they should provide their biometric imprints only once when acquiring a SIM, often permitting dealers to collect these imprints multiple times.
Those additional imprints are then exploited by the unscrupulous dealers to obtain multiple SIM cards under the same name.
