Daily Times

In a successful crackdown, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked a large number of SIM cards issued illegally by various telecommunication companies, Daily Times has learnt.

The available information suggests that the PTA teams in joint collaboration with the Cyber Crime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) held raids in multiple locations of the country and found a number of unlawfully issued SIM cards.

First raid was conducted in Mingora, Swat PTA Zonal Office Peshawar in collaboration with FIA Cyber Crime Circle Peshawar against a mobile company franchisee suspected of illegally issuing SIM cards. “The suspects used the guise of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) disbursements to take biometric information (finger/thumb impressions) of subscribers for SIMs issuance,” sources said.

Similarly, in Lahore, PTA Zonal office and FIA Cyber Crime Circle Gujranwala conducted raids against three franchisees of a mobile company suspected of illegally issuing SIM cards in Gujranwala, Pasroor, and Narowal.

“During the raids, BVS devices issued by mobile companies and a bank for BISP disbursements and active SIM cards were confiscated. Five suspects were arrested,” the PTA said. The FIA, it added, is making further investigation of these cases.

During the raid, digital equipment including laptops, PCs, mobile phones and SIM cards (both active and inactive) were confiscated.. Earlier, PTA had filed a complaint with FIA after an abnormal SIM sale pattern was observed at the sale channel. In December last year, the PTA had started taking action against Multi Finger Biometric Verification System (MBVS) as an effort to proactively control the attempts being made to bypass the new system.

The PTA has identified and blocked 4,395,566 SIMs suspected to be involved in grey trafficking during 2020- 22, to safeguard potential loss.

Grey traffic is essentially the concealment of incoming international telephone calls (traffic), which are terminated on fixed and mobile networks by using illegal channels and other means for the purpose of avoiding taxes/levies adding that biometric verification is related to the proper issuance of SIMs and is not a direct measure to control grey traffic.

Furthermore, grey traffic is terminated through mobile connections as well as other fixed-line termination channels. Officials revealed that the PTA regularly analyses traffic data of international incoming calls with a view to identifying SIMs suspected to be involved in grey traffic.

The sources said that upon detection these SIMs are blocked to safeguard potential loss. During 2020-22, a total of 4,395,566 such SIMs have been identified and blocked. Whereas, based upon irregularities observed in issuance of a number of grey SIMs, a fine of Rs 150 million has also been imposed on respective CMOs. However, no CMO itself has been identified in using such SIMs for grey traffic termination.