BENGALURU: The city police on Sunday held a meeting with mobile service providers and warned them against issuing pre-activated SIM cards.
They have been told they will face strict action if pre-activated SIM cards are issued and if proper documentation is not followed, DCP (Crime) Abhishek Goyal said. “Considering the terror threats to the city, pre-activated SIM cards can easily be exploited by anti-social and extremist elements,” Goyal said.
The meeting was convened by senior police officials in the backdrop of a recent expose. The city police had unearthed a pre-activated SIM card scam when an absconding and wanted militant Shibigiri was arrested from Electronics City. Shibigiri, an NDFB(S) militant, was allegedly responsible for the recent massacre in Assam.
He had approached a retail outlet, Bismillah Mobile Care, in Electronics City, and was given a pre-activated SIM card.
According to rules, inactive SIM cards are given to new customers and their details are collected and forwarded from the retail point to the dealer, who then sends the application to the service provider. A verification call then results in the activation of the SIM card after all details are checked.
“When a CCB team contacted the retailer, they found that the card was issued under a fake name with bogus documents,” a police statement said.