RAWALPINDI, Nov 6: The police have launched a crackdown on illegal sale of SIMs (subscriber identity modules) across the city and seized more than 700 SIMs in 24 hours and arrested 10 retailers, police said.

The Punjab home department on October 24 ordered action against illegal sale of SIMs, saying they could be used in terrorist activities.

In a series of raids in the cantonment area the police seized 737 SIMs of different mobile phone companies and rounded up 10 people who, the police said, could not produce authorisation certificates for selling SIMs.

The police arrested Ehasanullah, Mohammad Jalil, Ameer Mushtaq, Saqib Mehmood, Mohammad Ilyas, Anwar Shahzad, Waqar Hussain of Westridge, Mohammad Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas and Ameer Hamza and have registered separate cases against them.