MEERUT, July 11 -- An international cybercrime racket involving fake SIM cards and WhatsApp OTP fraud linked to Southeast Asia was unearthed by Saharanpur's Cyber Crime Police following the arrest of two women, Huma and Antarfa, on Wednesday, and interrogation of Mohtasin, who is already lodged in jail, police said on Thursday. Police said the arrested women, both residents of Haridwar, were allegedly selling OTPs generated from fake SIM cards for Rs 80-Rs 100 per code, which were then shared in international WhatsApp groups. These codes gave cybercriminals based in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia access to Indian WhatsApp accounts, which were later used in online scams. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ashish Tiwari explained that the racket involved large-scale issuance of fake SIM cards using forged Aadhaar data. "One of the key accused, Sachin Kumar of Bargaon, a POS (Point of Sale) agent for telecom companies, allegedly misused customer biometrics to activate two SIMs per person without their consent. He reportedly issued over 1,000 SIMs, many of which were handed over to Huma and Antarfa." Another prime accused, Vipin Kumar of Fatehpur, allegedly collected fingerprints and photos by posing as a surveyor for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. He then used this data to issue 873 SIM cards using fraudulent methods, he said. The breakthrough came during an investigation into a complaint lodged on December 29, 2024, by Rohit Diwan of Sambhalhedi, who reported that SIM cards had been fraudulently issued using his Aadhaar credentials. The accused revealed during questioning that they were trained by Mohatsin, son of Ilyas, who is currently in jail. Investigators believe the gang was linked to a larger cybercrime syndicate operating internationally and using India-based SIM and OTP systems to commit fraud. The police also found links to cyber slavery, where youth were lured through fake online job offers and forced to carry out scam operations using compromised WhatsApp accounts. The Cyber Crime team is continuing its investigation, and more arrests are expected....