The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) apprehended the proprietor of a telecom franchise, accused of unlawfully distributing SIM cards in Mianwali district, Punjab, as stated in a press release issued on Tuesday.
In the preceding month, the FIA and the PTA detained at least 54 individuals nationwide and confiscated over 15,000 illicit SIM cards during separate joint operations conducted as part of an ongoing crackdown.
In a statement released today, the PTA announced that it executed a “successful raid on a Ufone Franchise in Mianwali,” in collaboration with the FIA’s Lahore Cyber Crime Circle.
“The franchise was discovered to be engaging in the unauthorized issuance of SIMs. During the operation, 496 digital fingerprint impressions (single impressions), Biometric Verification System (BVS) devices, two scanners, and a laptop were seized,” the PTA disclosed.
It further stated that the FIA team confiscated these items as evidentiary material, and the “franchise owner” was taken into custody, with a First Information Report filed against him for further legal procedures.
“The FIA Cyber Crime Circle has initiated an investigation to identify additional offenders,” the telecommunications regulatory body stated.
It emphasized that these raids are part of its continuous endeavors to prevent the circumvention of the Multi-Finger Biometric Verification System (MBVS).
“This firm and unwavering dedication underscores the authority’s commitment to eliminating the illegal distribution of SIMs,” the PTA affirmed.
Last month, the FIA’s Rawalpindi Cyber Crime Circle detained a suspect from Lahore’s Gulshan Ali Colony for alleged involvement in the illicit sale of international SIM cards.
In February, FIA (cybercrime wing) Additional Director General Waqaruddin Syed reported that 44 suspects had been arrested from Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Peshawar, Sukkur, and Abbottabad.
He also mentioned that a total of 8,363 international SIM cards from the United Kingdom were recovered, with 21 cases registered across the country.
