RAWALPINDI: The Punjab home department has directed the inspector general of police (IGP) to launch a crackdown on the illegal sale of mobile phone SIMs (subscriber identity modules).

The direction was issued after intelligence agencies informed the home department that a mobile phone dealer in Jhang was involved in the illegal sale of SIMs after obtaining them on the CNICs of poor women.

The intelligence agencies said the accused took the CNICs of poor women along with their fingerprints on the pretext of providing them financial help and used them to get the SIMs for illegal sale.

The mobile phone dealer has already sold SIMs to members of criminal gangs for Rs4,000 to Rs5,000 in D.I Khan, Bhakhar, Mianwali, Layyah, Bhawalpur, Attock and Rawalpindi, the agencies added.

The home department informed the police that the accused also possessed a mobile phone SIM verification system (biometric machine) at his home.

It may be noted that on the directions of the government, all mobile phone companies got their subscribers’ fingerprints re-verified through the biometric system.

City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi Israr Ahmed Abbasi could not be contacted for comments.

However, another senior police officer told Dawn that the illegally sold SIMs could be used by terrorists and criminal elements.

The provincial government had already asked the divisional police chiefs, special branch and counter-terrorism department to check the illegal sale of SIMs, he added.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2015

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