Bengal STF busts OTP scam ‘linked to Pak’s ISI’, arrests two

Kolkata: Two men have been arrested in Murshidabad by Bengal Police's STF for allegedly transmitting OTPs linked to Indian SIM cards to Pakistan, enabling remote activation for suspected espionage and cybercrime activities. The duo's terror links are now under probe, along with their nationality, with cops believing that at least one of them might be Bangladeshi. Several mobile phones and SIM cards have been recovered from them.One of the accused, Suman Sheikh of Gudhia Dargatala, was arrested near Behrampore on Saturday night. Suman had been working in Pune. On Sunday, he was produced before the ACJM's court in Bidhannagar, which remanded him to 14 days of police custody. The other accused, Sheikh Juhab of Gudhia village, was arrested on Feb 10. He is in police custody.
Investigators suspect that the activated SIM cards were accessed by operatives linked to Pakistan's ISI and may also have been used by cyber fraud networks operating from across the border.Investigators stated that the two accused procured SIM cards and opened WhatsApp accounts. They sent the number verification OTPs to their handlers in Pakistan. The investigation revealed that they trafficked OTPs in this manner at least seven times, receiving large sums of money in their bank accounts in return.It is suspected that Pakistani intelligence used these WhatsApp accounts to gather information about various important individuals in India. Cops are examining whether any significant information or document had been leaked or smuggled.Investigators claim that while working in Pune, Suman came into contact with a person who informed him of a high demand for Indian SIM cards in Pakistan. He was allegedly told to procure SIMs in India and forward the corresponding OTPs to a designated Pakistani number through social media platforms.Police allege that Suman received substantial payments in cryptocurrency from Pakistan. He would allegedly convert the cryptocurrency into cash and reinvest the funds to purchase more SIM cards digitally from Juhab."Investigation is continuing to unearth the extent of their illegal activities and associates," said SP (Operations) Indrajit Sarkar.