ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Zonal office, Peshawar in collaboration with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Circle, successfully conducted a raid against a mobile phone company franchisee located on Kohat Road, Peshawar, said a press release.

The franchisee and his team were involved in illegal issuance of SIMs against Afghan passports. Reportedly, the franchisee was being run by an Afghan national and the activated SIMs were being sold to Afghan nationals for Rs 3,000 each. Five laptops and eight mobile phones, containing scanned passport data, were seized.

Furthermore, five individuals were apprehended at the scene by FIA, who are pursuing further investigations into the matter.

The PTA had filed a complaint with FIA earlier based on information regarding illegal issuance of SIMs by the sales channel. This raid, marking the twelfth of the current year, stands as a testament to the PTA's persistent commitment to curb the menace of illegal issuance of SIMs.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023