Islamabad (19th January 2024): The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Zonal Office in Lahore, in close collaboration with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Circle, conducted successful raid against franchisees of a mobile phone company located in Islamabad. These franchisees were found to be involved in the illegal issuance of SIMs.

During the raid, 02 active SIMs and 151 suspected SIMs were discovered within the SIM stock. The FIA team confiscated these SIMs, along with 04 BVS devices, as evidence. Additionally, two individuals were apprehended on the premises by the FIA team. Currently, the FIA is conducting further investigations into the matter. Prior to this, PTA had filed a complaint with the FIA based on information related to the illegal issuance of SIMs by the sales channel.

These raids are part of PTA's ongoing efforts to prevent the circumvention of the Multi-Finger Biometric Verification System (MBVS). This commitment reflects the Authority's dedication to eradicating the illegal issuance of SIMs.