Chandigarh, Nov. 18 -- The Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh as well as Jammu and Kashmir submitted the action taken reports at the Northern Zonal Council meeting about a series of steps-from SITs and cyber commandos to mass SIM-verification drives-to counter fast-evolving threats from cybercrime. The meeting was chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday in Faridabad. The Ladakh administration flagged the growing complexity of cyber investigations, driven by rampant social media misuse, fake profiles, and fraudulent SIM-linked transactions. In its November 3 submission, the UT underscored the urgent need for strict regulatory measures to curb the issuance of fake SIM cards and the opening of fraudulent bank accounts, which are often exploited in cybercrime activities. To address these challenges, Ladakh has set up two dedicated Cyber Special Investigation Teams, one in each district. Authorities have intensified scrutiny of duplicate SIM cards and are actively verifying suspicious connections under the directions of the department of Telecommunications. "The Ladakh Police are actively scrutinising and verifying duplicate SIMs. The exponential growth in internet and social media usage has brought new challenges for law enforcement. Fake profiles complicate investigations and enable criminals to organise illicit activities such as trafficking and cybercrime, making monitoring extremely challenging," the submission said. In addition, telecom operators and bank branch heads have been instructed to conduct physical verification of customers before issuing new SIM cards or opening bank accounts, a move aimed at preventing cybercrime and financial fraud. J&K vide their email dated November 6, 2025, reported an increase in cybercrime cases over recent years. FIRs rose from 166 in 2022 to 181 in 2023, with 134 FIRs registered in 2024. Between 2022 and 2025, authorities identified 4,716 accused scammers operating across multiple states. To counter these threats, J&K has established a specialised Cyber Commando wing, with personnel trained to proactively detect, analyse, and neutralise digital threats. Sixteen officers have completed training, while 30 more have been nominated. The UT has also set up 23 cyber police stations, one in each district. Between 2023 and 2025, 2,477 of 2,649 mobile numbers identified for blocking were successfully barred to prevent misuse. The administration highlighted that unregulated issuance of bank accounts with weak KYC norms and unchecked proliferation of POS (Point of Sale) SIM cards contribute significantly to cyber financial frauds, urging TRAI and RBI to enforce strict physical verification for all SIM and bank account applicants. Punjab, Rajasthan, other UTs and states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Chandigarh, also intimated meeting about the efforts being made to train the police to deal with the challenges of cyber crime. In its detailed response submitted on October 13,2025, Punjab cited challenges in removing malicious, defamatory, or sexually explicit content in real time, as well as the rapid creation of multiple fake social media accounts of prominent individuals....