Fake SIM Card Racket Busted in Sambalpur

Three Arrested, 120 Sealed Airtel SIM Cards and Other Materials Seized

Sudam Babu | State Bureau Chief, Odisha

Sambalpur, September 24, 2026: Sambalpur Cyber Police have busted an alleged racket involved in the preparation and sale of SIM cards and arrested three persons in connection with the case.

The arrested persons have been identified as Suraj Bag, 24, of Panchput; Malati Oram alias Mala, 29, of Sinapali; and Papu alias Sheikh Parvez, 32, of Motijharan in Sambalpur.

The alleged racket came to light during the investigation of Sambalpur Cyber Police Station Case No. 34, registered on September 22, 2026. According to police, the accused allegedly used customers’ identity documents and other papers to generate multiple SIM cards against a single mobile number.

Police said that after providing one SIM card to a customer, the accused allegedly retained additional SIM cards and sold them to other individuals.

During the investigation, police reportedly found that some of the SIM cards were allegedly used in cybercrime activities in the Jamtara area of Jharkhand. Investigators have also gathered information indicating that money generated from the alleged sale of SIM cards was distributed among individuals associated with the network.

Police seized four mobile phones, four active SIM cards, 120 sealed blank Airtel SIM cards, three bank passbooks, one cheque book, an Aadhaar card, a PhonePe QR code scanner, four affidavits, a house-rent agreement, 10 Airtel pamphlets and four Airtel 5G Plus signboards from the accused.

The Cyber Police are continuing their investigation to identify other individuals allegedly linked to the network, determine the total number of SIM cards generated, trace the persons to whom the SIM cards were allegedly supplied and establish the amount of money involved in the transactions.

Investigators are also examining the alleged links between the network and cybercrime activities in the Jamtara area of Jharkhand.

Further details are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.