Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s Zonal Office in Lahore, in coordination with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, has taken action against the illegal trade of activated SIMs following a complaint filed by the authority. Acting on the complaint, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency apprehended a female suspect in Sahiwal allegedly involved in the bulk sale of illegally activated SIM cards.
A total of 329 illegally activated SIMs were recovered during the operation, comprising 176 Jazz SIMs, 83 Ufone SIMs, 66 Zong SIMs, and 4 Telenor SIMs. Initial investigation revealed evidence of bulk SIM trading along with distribution networks extending to different cities, indicating that the operation was not confined to a single location. An FIR has been registered in connection with the case, with further investigation currently underway to determine the full scale of the network involved.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said it remains committed to eliminating the illegal issuance of SIMs and preventing misuse of the Multi-Finger Biometric Verification System, the biometric infrastructure used across Pakistan to authenticate SIM registrations against citizens’ national identity cards. The case adds to a series of similar enforcement actions carried out by the authority and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency in Sahiwal and other parts of Punjab in recent months, reflecting the district’s recurring status as a hotspot for illegal SIM related activity.
Illegal SIM issuance has remained a persistent concern for Pakistani authorities, often linked to fraudulent activities, financial scams, and broader cybercrime networks that exploit weaknesses in identity verification systems. Earlier this month, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency arrested another Sahiwal resident on a separate complaint from Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, recovering 310 active SIM cards that were allegedly being used to create and sell fake WhatsApp accounts as part of an organised network exploiting digital identities.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority advised the public to regularly verify SIMs issued against their national identity cards and report any unauthorised SIM registrations through the authority’s toll free helpline or its online complaint portal. The regulator has continued to frame these enforcement actions as part of a broader effort to close loopholes in Pakistan’s SIM registration system and protect citizens from the fraud and cybercrime risks associated with illegally activated mobile connections.
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