New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a key accused from Guwahati for allegedly procuring and distributing over 10,000 illegally issued SIM cards used in cyber crimes across the country.
The accused, identified as Ubaid Ullah, had been absconding since August 2025, officials said on Monday.
According to a CBI spokesperson, Ullah acted as an aggregator of illegally obtained SIM cards and played a central role in supplying them to cybercriminal networks. The investigation revealed that he transferred nearly ₹67 lakh through multiple bank accounts to Point of Sale (POS) agents to acquire the SIM cards.
The agency also uncovered evidence of courier transactions used to receive and distribute the SIM cards.
The arrest was made as part of the CBI’s ongoing Operation Chakra-V, aimed at dismantling cybercrime infrastructure nationwide.
The case was originally registered last year, focusing on POS agents who were illegally issuing SIM cards that were later used in various cyber offences, including fake digital arrests, loan scams, and investment frauds.
During the course of the investigation, the CBI conducted searches at around 45 locations across eight states, leading to the arrest of 10 POS agents involved in the illegal SIM card network.
Officials said further investigation is underway to identify additional links and beneficiaries in the racket.
