Duplicate SIMs duping India, Rajasthan police bust Ludhiana link.

Ludhiana: When you hand over your ID for a new mobile plan, you might be handing over the keys to a global crime syndicate. Police have dismantled a key link in a massive international cybercrime network, arresting a local telecommunications retailer accused of funnelling hundreds of SIM cards to a Rs-1,100-crore fraud syndicate operating out of Cambodia.Sandeep Bhatt, 27, was apprehended by Jodhpur police after investigators traced a series of high-value financial scams back to his retail outlet. Police allege Bhatt exploited unsuspecting customers to source the hardware necessary for the offshore racket.
The Double-Click ScamThe investigators claim to have found out that Bhatt used his position as a licensed retailer for two major telecommunication firms to harvest identities. When customers arrived to purchase a SIM card, Bhatt would claim a biometric or technical failure, a deceptive tactic he'd use to photograph customers twice, claiming the first image was "unclear". For identity theft, he used the dual sets of credentials to activate two separate SIM cards simultaneously.While the customer received one functional SIM, the second was diverted to the Cambodian-based syndicate for use in illicit financial activities. Inspector Suresh Saran of the Jodhpur cybercrime unit confirmed that Bhatt was the sixth person arrested in connection with the nexus. The scale of the operation was realised after a Telangana resident lost about Rs 8.9 crore to a single fraudulent scheme. "When police probed the matter, it was discovered that the SIM used in the crime was issued in the name of a man who was completely unaware of its existence," inspector Saran told reporters.Repeat OffenderThe investigation revealed that Bhatt is a career participant in cyber-infrastructure crime. Bhatt is accused of arranging at least 200 SIM cards for the syndicate in 2024 alone. In 2025, Uttarakhand police had arrested Bhatt for an identical fraud scheme involving SIM card activation. He was out on bail for those charges when the Jodhpur investigation linked him to the current Rs-1,100-crore operation.The arrest of Sandeep Bhatt in Ludhiana highlights a sophisticated method of "interconnect bypass fraud". This global shadow industry allows offshore syndicates — often based in Southeast Asian hubs like Cambodia — to operate within India's borders without setting foot in the country. The primary tool for these organizations is the SIM Box (or GSM Gateway).This device can house hundreds of SIM cards at once and acts as a bridge between the internet and the local cellular network. These syndicates profit from the "grey route" — charging international rates to the caller while paying only local (or zero) rates to the Indian telecom provider. Police are continuing to trace the money trail as they attempt to identify the higher-ranking architects of the Cambodian hub.