As many as 13 persons were arrested in Mumbai over last three days for activating SIM cards with the help of fake documents, police said on Saturday. Police also seized 2,197 SIM cards from their possession besides four laptops and 60 mobile phones, said an official. Raids were conducted in the jurisdictions of V P Road, D N Nagar, Malabar Hill, Sahar and Bangur Nagar police stations during the operation, he said. Those arrested included SIM card sellers, agents and call centre owners who used such SIM cards. Mumbai police took action after receiving information about these practises from the Department of Telecom (DoT), the official said.
The accused obtained and activated SIM cards by using forged Aadhaar cards and other identity documents and used these mobile numbers for personal gains, the official said.
All the arrested persons have been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including cheating and forgery, and more arrests are likely, he added.