Gang obtaining SIMs through fraud busted

PESHAWAR: The police here on Sunday claimed to have busted a gang of educated men involved in obtaining cellular phone SIMs through fake thumb impressions.

Officials said the SIMs were being sold to terrorists to make calls for collecting extortion and ransom money.

“The held criminals are ex-officials of a cellular phone company and are educated young men. They also used to make rubber fingers and thumbs to get SIMs as well as forge property documents,” Superintendent of Police (SP) Saddar Waqar Ahmad and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Badaber Malik Habib told a press conference.

The officials said 346 SIMs and 88 rubber fingers and thumbs were recovered from the gang. The gang used to sell the SIMs to criminals, who would use it for making calls to people for extortion and ransom, they added. The cops said the accused identified as Shafiq, Naveed, Bilal and Shah Hussain were highly qualified and held important positions in a cellphone company.

They said the accused were also involved in making forged documents as well as bank accounts for transaction.

The officials said they had approached the State Bank of Pakistan for at least 10 suspicious accounts. They said the police also got in touch with the district administration to check transfer of property through fake thumb impressions. The bank accounts were used for transferring ransom money, they added.