The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Zonal Office Faisalabad, in collaboration with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Circle Faisalabad, carried out successful raids on two franchisees of Ufone and Jazz in Jhang City and Garh Moor, District Jhang. Both franchisees were found involved in the illegal issuance of SIM cards.
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During the Jhang City raid, the FIA arrested the franchise owner and seized key evidence, including one mobile phone, two Ufone biometric verification system (BVS) devices, and 57 suspicious SIM cards. In a second raid in Garh Moor, two individuals were detained, and authorities confiscated 39 suspicious SIMs, two mobile phones, one laptop, two Jazz BVS devices, 32 original CNICs, 800 CNIC copies, and 161 signed stamp papers with thumb impressions.
Meanwhile, PTA’s Zonal Office Lahore, in a joint operation with the FIA Cyber Crime Circle, conducted a raid on a Jazz franchise in Depalpur, District Okara, following numerous complaints from local women. These women, unaware of the fraud, reported that their fingerprints had been misused for the illegal issuance of SIMs under the guise of distributing aid through the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP). The FIA arrested the retailer and seized 25 suspicious SIM cards, along with two suspected BVS devices. A First Information Report (FIR) was promptly filed, and a thorough investigation is underway.
These crackdowns are part of PTA’s ongoing campaign to curb the illegal issuance of SIMs, highlighting the authority’s steadfast commitment to eradicating this unlawful practice and safeguarding the public from exploitation.
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