Telecom operators ‘forcing’ vendors to sell SIM cards in bulk on police’s radar
Days after the security agencies launched crackdown against the vendors fraudulently selling SIM cards, the Telecom operators “forcing” them to sell the devices in bulk are on radar and may face stringent action.
Sources in the administration said that the Jammu and Kashmir Police along with sister concern probing agencies recently started a statewide crackdown against the SIM card vendors allegedly involved in selling SIM cards without proper verification of the documents and issued the device by preparing false documents, forging, faking identity related papers and records.
“Many vendors have dishonestly issued the SIM cards against one single photo to different persons with identity proofs across the Union Territory,” sources said.
They said that the vendors have reportedly been ‘forced’ to sell the SIM cards to meet the target set by the telecom operators by offering them lucrative gifts that compels the vendors to take the extreme step.
“Recently, during several raids on specific inputs, nearly one dozen vendors were arrested in the parts of Jammu and Kashmir for fraudulently selling the SIM cards on fake and forged documents,” sources said.
They added, “when questioned, the vendors confessed their involvement in the heinous crime and claimed that the telecom operators, particularly the private players, asked them to sell the SIM cards and meet the target.”
“Many fake SIM card rackets have been busted in Jammu and Kashmir to prevent fraudulent selling with corrupt and criminal intentions,” they added and said that the vendors have been using driving licenses, election cards, aadhar cards besides separate identity proofs.
“In view of the security threat, the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2009 had already banned prepaid mobile phone connections in Jammu and Kashmir,” sources revealed and said that the step came in the wake of reports that proper verification was not being done while providing prepaid mobile connections by the service providers and vendors.
“In some cases it was also found that a single person had been issued with multiple connections for which the fake documents and identity numbers were also reportedly used by the vendors particularly, in the case of pre-paid connections,” they added and said that the situation had given rise to serious security concerns.
“Although lakhs of subscribers possessing prepaid mobile connections in Jammu and Kashmir were affected with the decision, it ultimately helped the security agencies to tighten the noose against the anti-national and anti-social elements misusing the SIM cards issued on fake IDs,” they said.
Appealing to the people, a senior police officer said, “whosoever applying for SIM cards (prepaid/post paid) must submit only a single and self attested copy of documents to the vendors by cleverly signing the identity cards.”
