ISLAMABAD

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), in coordination with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), has intensified its crackdown on the illegal issuance and sale of activated SIM cards, arresting a suspect and seizing hundreds of illegally activated SIMs during a raid in Sahiwal.

The operation, carried out by PTA’s Lahore Zonal Office following a complaint lodged with the NCCIA, led to the arrest of a woman allegedly involved in the bulk trade of pre-activated SIM cards.

Authorities recovered 329 illegally activated SIMs, including 176 Jazz, 83 Ufone, 66 Zong, and 4 Telenor SIMs.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the activated SIMs were being traded in bulk and distributed to multiple cities. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered, while investigators continue to probe the network and identify other individuals involved.

PTA said it is continuing its nationwide campaign to curb the illegal issuance of SIMs and prevent misuse of the Multi-Finger Biometric Verification System (MBVS), warning that unauthorized SIM registration poses serious security risks.

The regulator also urged mobile subscribers to regularly verify the number of SIMs registered against their national identity cards and report any unauthorized connections to the relevant authorities.