Siliguri: A fake SIM card racket was uncovered by the Cyber Crime police in Siliguri, leading to the arrest of a youth. The arrested individual, identified as Biplab Mallick (32 years), a resident of Cooch Behar, has been staying in a rented house in the Dashrathpally area of Siliguri for the past few years.
Biplab was taken into four days of police remand after he was produced before the Siliguri Court on Sunday.
According to police sources, Biplab operated a mobile phone business where he sold SIM cards to customers in Dashrathpally. He allegedly collected fingerprints of his customers multiple times while selling SIM cards. These fingerprints, along with their personal documents, were later used to issue fake SIM cards, which he sold to an accomplice in Bihar for Rs 400 per card.
The fake SIM cards were then used in various fraudulent activities, including illegal phone calls made through call centres, financial fraud and fake transactions. Police said several money fraud incidents had occurred recently in Siliguri, using SIM cards that were registered in the names of local residents. While investigating such cases, police detained a woman from Matigara. After interrogating her, police came to know that she bought the SIM from Biplab. Further investigation revealed that Biplab had previously been arrested for similar fraudulent activities involving fake SIM cards in Purulia.
On Saturday, the woman lodged a written complaint against Biplab and police arrested him in the evening. In the initial investigation, police discovered that Biplab had forged 23 fake SIM cards, 7 of which were traced to residents of Siliguri. He sold 19 SIM cards to his accomplice in Bihar and 4 were recovered from his room.
A search operation is currently underway to locate the suspect involved in the scam. Sushanta Neogy, the Public Prosecutor said: “He has been taken into police remand. An investigation is underway regarding the incident.”