The Digital Mirror of India
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has uncovered a major international cyber fraud network operating from Cambodia, involving 36,000 Indian SIM cards.
Investigations revealed that 5,300 of these cards were used in cyber fraud cases in India, leading to financial losses worth hundreds of crores.
Illustration: ED uncovers cyber fraud network · NewsDarpan
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted a significant operation against an international cyber fraud network operating from Cambodia. As part of the investigation, large-scale raids were carried out in Rajasthan and Punjab. The agency analyzed approximately 2.3 lakh suspicious mobile numbers, uncovering that 36,000 Indian SIM cards were active in Cambodia. Among these, 5,300 SIM cards were directly linked to cyber fraud cases in India, resulting in financial losses amounting to hundreds of crores.
The ED initiated the operation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), based on an FIR registered at the Jodhpur Cyber Police Station. The raids, which began on June 5, targeted seven locations across Rajasthan's Kishangarh, Nagaur, and Jodhpur, as well as Ludhiana in Punjab. During the raids, the agency seized a significant amount of documents, digital evidence, electronic devices, and 14 mobile phones.
According to the ED, the network operated in a highly organized manner. SIM vendors used telecom companies' Point of Sale (POS) IDs to lure individuals into obtaining new SIM cards or porting their mobile numbers. Using documents from less educated individuals with limited awareness, additional SIM cards were activated in their names. These SIM cards were later sent to Cambodia through Malaysian nationals.
The investigation highlights the scale and sophistication of the fraud network, which exploited vulnerabilities in the system to carry out cyber fraud across India.