New Delhi. In a major action under Operation Chakra-V against organized cyber crime, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the Area Sales Manager of a leading telecom service provider company. The accused is accused of being involved in the sale of fake and illegal SIM cards used in cyber crimes. According to the CBI, in December 2025, an organized phishing network operating from NCR/Chandigarh was busted, which was providing bulk SMS services to cyber criminals—including foreign criminals. Investigation revealed that around 21,000 SIM cards were obtained for this network in violation of Department of Telecommunications (DoT) rules. These SIM cards were being used to defraud citizens by sending fake messages. In this case, three people including a channel partner of the telecom company were arrested in December 2025, who are currently in judicial custody. During the investigation, the role of an officer of a telecom company, who was working as Area Sales Manager at that time, was also revealed.
CBI investigation revealed that the accused officer arranged for a large number of SIM cards to be issued by dummy people, posing as employees of M/s Lord Mahaveer Services India Pvt. Ltd. and submitting their documents for the KYC process. These included members of the same family living in Bengaluru. Copies of Aadhaar cards of these people have also been recovered from the accused.
CBI said that these fraudulently obtained SIM cards were used in the same phishing ecosystem which had been exposed earlier. Phishing is the first step in cyber fraud, in which people are trapped by sending SMS, calls or messages on a large scale by luring people with false loans, investment lures or threats. After this, big scams are carried out by taking information from the victims or by getting them to click on the link.
CBI said it is committed to breaking the technical infrastructure of organized cyber crime and such actions will continue in coordination with concerned agencies, so that the culprits are brought to justice under the law.
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