Hyderabad: Hyderabad City Police launched Operation Octopus 3.0 against a nationwide ghost SIM network linked to cybercrime activities and arrested 66 accused across 13 states.
The Cyber Crime wing initiated the operation after tracing 1,194 ghost SIM cards connected to cyber fraud cases. Police formed 18 special teams and conducted raids for seven days in multiple states.
During the operation, officials seized 544 SIM cards, including 432 sealed cards and 112 activated cards. Investigators identified 44 ghost SIM users, 20 Point of Sale agents and two SIM suppliers among those arrested.
Police said the accused were involved in 76 cybercrime cases registered across the country. According to investigators, the fraud amount in these cases reached ₹101.87 crore.
The operation covered Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Punjab.
Among the arrested PoS agents, 10 worked for Vodafone Idea, seven worked for Airtel and three worked for Jio. Investigators found that some agents secretly activated extra SIM cards during customer KYC verification and mobile number portability processes.
Ghost SIM network used e-SIMs for cyber fraud
Police said agents misled customers by citing server issues, network failures and fingerprint mismatches to collect repeated biometric scans. Later, they activated additional SIM cards using those details.
Investigators found that cybercriminals quickly converted illegally activated SIM cards into e-SIMs. They then transferred the e-SIMs digitally to foreign cybercrime syndicates without physically moving the cards abroad.
The gangs allegedly used Indian mobile numbers to create WhatsApp and Telegram accounts along with fake profiles on matrimonial and dating platforms. Police said fraudsters used these accounts for sextortion, digital arrest scams and other online crimes.
Officials stated that criminals targeted villagers and poor residents by promising free internet services and collecting Aadhaar biometrics during fake registration camps.
Hyderabad Police said telecom agents often shut down their outlets after activating thousands of illegal SIM cards. Therefore, the department decided to hold meetings with Airtel, Jio and Vodafone Idea officials to strengthen KYC systems and improve surveillance.
Police also urged citizens not to share Aadhaar details, biometrics or OTPs with unknown persons. They advised the public to purchase SIM cards only from authorised dealers and report cyber fraud immediately through the 1930 helpline or the national cybercrime portal.
