BENGALURU: The Cyber Command Unit of Karnataka has busted an illegal SIM box network operating from two apartments in Whitefield, Bengaluru, suspected to be linked to digital arrest, sextortion and financial frauds across India.
According to a press note issued by DGP, Cyber Command, Pronab Mohanty, on Wednesday, the operation was launched following a complaint by the Chief Circle Nodal Officer of Bharti Airtel Limited, Bengaluru, regarding the unauthorised use of Airtel SIM cards in a SIM box setup in Whitefield and Kadugodi areas.
Following the complaint, the Cyber Crime Police Station (CCPS), Whitefield, registered Crime No. 286/2026 on August 26, 2026, and initiated a detailed investigation.
The investigation led to the identification of two facilities operating in separate apartments under CCPS, Whitefield Division, one in Kadugodi and another in Pattandur Agrahara. During a special operation conducted along with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Karnataka, police recovered ten SIM boxes (GSM gateway) devices.
In a First for India, Karnataka Cyber Command Busts Illegal eSIM Box Syndicate; 4 Held After 55-Day Hunt
Bengaluru
In a landmark operation marking the first such case cracked anywhere in the country, the #Karnataka State Police #CyberCommand Unit has busted an illegal embedded SIM (#eSIM) box network operating clandestinely out of two residential apartments in the Whitefield tech corridor, officials confirmed on Thursday.
The breakthrough came after an arduous, nearly 55-day technical pursuit. Unlike conventional physical SIM cards that leave direct point-of-sale footprints and visible hardware trails, tracking virtual eSIM profiles across encrypted networks presented severe investigative challenges. Investigators had to pierce through layered digital provisioning pipelines before finally closing in on the syndicate’s infrastructure and supply chain.
Four key operatives linked to the illicit procurement and conversion of eSIMs have been arrested from Tiroda in #Maharashtra’s Gondia district.The 55-Day Investigation and Bust
The probe began after the Chief Circle Nodal Officer of Bharti #Airtel Limited, #Bengaluru, lodged a complaint on August 26, 2026, flagging suspicious, unauthorized routing over Airtel connections in the Whitefield and Kadugodi pockets. The #Whitefield #CyberCrime Police Station (CCPS) registered and set the technical hunt in motion.Because the syndicate deployed virtual eSIM profiles rather than traditional physical SIM cards, pinpointing the hardware locations and device identities required extensive cyber forensics and telemetry analysis in close coordination with the Department of Telecommunications (#DoT), Karnataka.
Following nearly two months of sustained tracking, joint teams raided two high-density operational hubs functioning in separate apartments within the Whitefield division:
1. Kadugodi Facility: Six SIM Box (GSM gateway) units housing 32 slots each, totaling 192 slots active with provisioned eSIM connections across multiple telecom service providers.
2. Pattandur Agrahara Facility: Four SIM Box units with 32 slots each, accounting for 128 active slots.
Operating in tandem, the dual facilities wielded a combined capacity of 320 live lines running through a single coordinated network. The setup functioned as an illicit domestic exchange, masking international originations and routing unauthorized traffic to bypass telecom firewalls and lawful interception systems.
Tracing the digital breadcrumbs behind the virtual profiles led cyber investigators to Tiroda in Maharashtra’s Gondia district, where operatives were procuring SIM credentials and converting them into activated eSIM profiles to feed the Bengaluru gateways remotely.Four accused persons, all residents of #Tiroda, were tracked down and arrested; however, police have withheld their identities citing the ongoing investigation.
According to police, the country-first eSIM box setup served as the core telecommunications backbone for widespread cyber intimidation schemes nationwide, including infamous “#DigitalArrest” scams, sextortion rackets and high-value financial fraud.
”Preliminary leads suggest the possibility of substantial financial exposure, potentially running into hundreds of crores of rupees across the wider network,” said Dr. Pronab Mohanty, IPS, Director General of Police, Cyber Command. “The actual number of victims, financial losses, and the full extent of the network remain subject to verification through continuing investigation and inter-agency coordination.”
Forensic analysis of the seized gateway hardware and cloud logs is underway to map out every call routed through the hub and uncover the masterminds directing the syndicate.
@KarnatakaCops @DgpKarnataka @PriyankKharge @DoT_India @airtelindia @PIBHomeAffairs
— Yasir Mushtaq (@path2shah) October 22, 2026
At Kadugodi, six devices, each with 32 SIM slots, were recovered, with a total of 192 slots configured with e-SIM-provisioned connections of various telecom providers. At Pattandur Agrahara, four devices, each with 32 slots, were seized, taking the total to 128 slots. Together, the two facilities had a combined capacity of 320 SIM connections. The investigation has established that both facilities were set up and operated by the same criminal network.
According to police, the devices formed part of an organised telecommunications setup used to facilitate fraudulent communications. The seized articles are being examined to establish their precise operational role. Preliminary leads suggest that the network’s financial exposure could run into hundreds of crores of rupees.
In a related development, police traced the e-SIM supply chain to Tiroda in Gondia district, Maharashtra, following leads regarding the alleged sale of SIM cards and their conversion into e-SIM profiles.
Four accused, all residents of Tiroda, have been identified and arrested in connection with the e-SIM supply chain. Their arrests are being viewed as a breakthrough in tracing the procurement and provisioning of e-SIM resources used in the suspected cybercrime operation.
Further investigation is underway to establish the role of each accused and determine links between the SIM/e-SIM supply chain and digital-arrest, sextortion and financial cyber fraud activities, police said. (ANI)
