Authorities have arrested four individuals for their alleged involvement in trafficking activated SIM cards to Vietnam, intended for use in online gaming and social media applications. According to police reports released on Sunday, the accused received payments through a cryptocurrency platform recently banned in India.
As reported by NDTV, Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI Airport), Usha Rangnani, revealed that the suspects exploited individuals, including daily wage laborers, by paying them nominal amounts to obtain SIM cards under their names. These SIM cards were then sold at a premium to individuals in Vietnam for gaming and social media use.
The transactions reportedly occurred via a Chinese cryptocurrency application, which has been prohibited in India. Law enforcement authorities seized 500 SIM cards in connection with the investigation.
The investigation was initiated following a complaint from the manager of a courier company at the Indira Gandhi International Cargo Terminal. The complaint highlighted the discovery of a concealed shipment containing a quantity of SIM cards intended for dispatch to Vietnam.
During the investigation, it was found that the SIM cards were predominantly issued in the names of individuals residing in the vicinity of Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Anil Kumar, Mukul Kumar, Hemant, and Kanhaiya Gupta have been arrested in connection with the case.
Further investigations revealed that Mukul Kumar incentivized individuals in Agra to obtain SIM cards in their names, purportedly to help friends at POS centers meet monthly targets. The cards were then sold at escalated prices to subsequent buyers.
Anil Kumar, one of the accused, arranged the shipment of SIM cards to addresses in Vietnam, sourced through social media platforms. Payments for these transactions were facilitated through the banned cryptocurrency application, with Anil Kumar reportedly receiving Rs.1,300 per SIM card in his bank account from Vietnam. The investigation into the matter is ongoing as authorities delve deeper into the intricate web of activities surrounding the illegal trafficking of SIM cards linked to online gaming and social media use.