Bengaluru SIM Box Bust: Huge Fraud Network Smashed, 4 Arrested
Karnataka police dismantle a massive illegal SIM box network in Bengaluru linked to digital arrest and sextortion frauds. Four arrested in Maharashtra.
In a major blow to cybercriminals, the Karnataka Cyber Command has dismantled a sophisticated illegal SIM box network operating out of Bengaluru. The operation has uncovered a massive infrastructure suspected of powering high-stakes scams, including digital arrests, sextortion, and large-scale financial frauds across the country.
The Crackdown in Whitefield
The investigation began after the Chief Circle Nodal Officer of Bharti Airtel Limited, Bengaluru, flagged the unauthorized use of Airtel SIM cards. This alert led the Cyber Crime Police Station (CCPS) in Whitefield to register a formal case on August 26, 2026, sparking a deep dive into the illicit setup.
Acting on these leads, the police, in coordination with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Karnataka, raided two separate apartment facilities located in the Whitefield division—one in Kadugodi and another in Pattandur Agrahara.
High-Tech Hardware Seized
The raids revealed a professional-grade telecommunications setup designed to hide the identity of callers and facilitate fraudulent communications. Police recovered a total of ten GSM gateway devices (SIM boxes) with a staggering combined capacity of 320 SIM connections.
- Kadugodi Facility: Six devices were seized, each featuring 32 SIM slots. A total of 192 slots were configured with e-SIM-provisioned connections from various telecom operators.
- Pattandur Agrahara Facility: Four devices were recovered, each with 32 slots, adding another 128 slots to the network.
According to DGP Cyber Command, Pronab Mohanty, both facilities were operated by the same organized criminal syndicate. While the devices are currently undergoing detailed examination, preliminary estimates suggest the financial exposure of this network could run into hundreds of crores of rupees.
The Maharashtra Connection
The investigation didn't stop at the Bengaluru apartments. Police traced the supply chain of the e-SIMs back to Tiroda in the Gondia district of Maharashtra. Investigators discovered that this was the hub where SIM cards were allegedly sold and converted into e-SIM profiles to fuel the Bengaluru operation.
In a significant breakthrough, four residents of Tiroda have been arrested. These arrests are critical for the police to understand how the criminals procured and provisioned the e-SIM resources necessary to run their fraudulent empire.
The Bigger Picture
Authorities are now working to map the exact link between the e-SIM supply chain in Maharashtra and the specific cybercrime activities—such as digital arrest and sextortion—carried out via the Bengaluru hub. Further investigations are underway to identify other members of the syndicate and the full extent of the victims affected by this network.