Prayagraj : In a significant breakthrough, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has arrested two most-wanted accused involved in a major SIM card fraud racket from Lalgopalganj, Nawabganj area of Prayagraj. The duo was supplying illegally activated SIM cards to cybercriminals across India, allegedly in connivance with officials of telecom giant Vodafone Idea (VI).
The Arrested Accused
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
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Sandeep Pandey (35) – Carrying a reward of ₹25,000
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Naufeel (34) – Both are residents of Pratapgarh district
During the raid, authorities recovered:
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239 blank unactivated SIM cards
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36 forged Aadhaar cards
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3 biometric scanners
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4 mobile phones
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₹6,620 in cash
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PAN cards, ATM cards, and other identity documents
Modus Operandi
According to the STF, the gang:
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Illegally registered Point of Sale (POS) accounts with VI using fake documents.
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Collected customer biometrics and used them to activate two SIMs—giving one to the customer and retaining the second for illegal resale.
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Sold these pre-activated SIMs to cybercriminals involved in stock market scams, digital arrest frauds, and parcel scams.
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Used forged Aadhaar cards and biometric devices to facilitate identity theft.
Lead-Up to Arrest
The STF had been monitoring the gang’s activities for several weeks. On May 15, 2025, six key members of this syndicate, including the kingpin, were arrested in Chitrakoot. During interrogation, the name of Sandeep Pandey surfaced prominently, leading to a ₹25,000 bounty being placed on him. Intelligence suggested that Sandeep, through Naufeel, was selling pre-activated SIMs at premium rates.
On June 18, using technical surveillance and informer intelligence, the STF team—under the direction of Additional Superintendent of Police Vishal Vikram Singh—nabbed the duo from Lalgopalganj, Prayagraj, at 1:05 PM.
Large-Scale Operation
The accused revealed that:
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They kept a stock of 200–300 SIM cards at any time.
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Sold each SIM between ₹100 to ₹250, depending on the urgency and demand.
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The supply chain extended to mobile shop owners, distributors, and agents in other cities, including Mumbai.
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A suspect named Sihuan Sheikh, based in Mumbai, is one of the key purchasers—his exact operations are under investigation.
Case and Legal Action
So far, the STF estimates that the gang has illegally activated over 10,000 SIM cards in the past 2–3 years. FIR number 115/2025 has been lodged under IPC Sections 34, 419, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and Sections 66B, 66C of the IT Act at Rajapur Police Station, Chitrakoot.
The seized electronic equipment will undergo forensic analysis, and STF continues to track other members of the syndicate.
This operation underscores the increasing nexus between telecom insiders and cybercrime networks, posing a severe threat to digital security across India.
