Islamabad, Apr 16, 2025: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), in partnership with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing, successfully carried out operations to dismantle illegal SIM card issuance operations in Quetta and Gujrat.
In Quetta, a targeted raid was executed by the PTA at a telecom franchise situated at the Engineering Building on Zarghoon Road.
The FIA team, alongside PTA representatives, detained the franchise owner, Mr. Usman Ahmed, and confiscated biometric verification system (BVS) equipment, desktop computers, and a significant inventory of SIM cards.
In a separate operation, the PTA Zonal Office Lahore, in coordination with the FIA Cyber Crime Reporting Centre (CCRC) Gujranwala, responded to a complaint from a Karachi resident.
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This led to a raid at a telecom franchise located on Bhimber Road in Gujrat.
Investigations uncovered that 433 SIM cards were issued under CNICs from Sindh, with 57 of these activated using just one BVS device. The franchise owner was immediately apprehended.
The PTA remains committed to eradicating unlawful SIM card distribution and enhancing digital security across the country, collaborating with law enforcement agencies to protect telecom consumers from fraud and misuse.
