The Crime Branch Unit 2 of Mumbai Police has unearthed a major SIM card scam in the Mankhurd area, arresting one accused involved in selling SIM cards without completing the mandatory Know Your Customer (KYC) process.
The arrested accused has been identified as Yusuf Ali Abdul Ali Sayyed (34). According to the Mumbai Crime Branch, Sayyed was illegally selling SIM cards of various telecom service providers without verifying customer identity through KYC. He allegedly charged Rs 500 for each SIM card sold without documentation.
Acting on a tip-off, the Crime Branch sent a decoy customer to trap the accused. As per the plan, the decoy approached Sayyed and asked for a SIM card. Sayyed handed over the SIM without any KYC process and accepted Rs 500 in return. Following this, the Crime Branch team, which was already stationed nearby, raided the location and seized 157 SIM cards from Sayyed’s possession.
The accused was immediately taken into custody and later handed over to the Mankhurd Police Station for further legal proceedings.
Sources in the Crime Branch informed that Police Constable Kiran Gopal Parab (44), posted in Unit 2, received confidential information about the illegal sale of SIM cards. After verifying the information through preliminary investigation, the Crime Branch laid a trap using a dummy customer to expose the racket.
Currently, the Crime Branch is investigating how many SIM cards were sold illegally by Sayyed and whether more people are involved in the racket. Further probe is underway.