The Special Crime Team of the Central Crime Station, along with the Nampally Police, arrested two persons on Saturday, January 17, for selling illegally activated mobile SIM cards.
The accused have been identified as 22-year-old Nanevath Dinesh Kumar Naik, who runs a SIM distribution business called Lavanya Enterprises at Kadapa, and 24-year-old Parnapally Sai Pradeep, a SIM promoter, both residents of Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh.
Police said the duo was found in possession of 184 illegally activated SIM cards, including 150 Airtel and 34 Jio connections, and four mobile phones.
During the investigation, it was found that they allegedly activated new Airtel SIM cards using KYC details and fingerprints of customers who visited their outlet to purchase SIM cards without the customers’ knowledge.
The illegally activated SIM cards were then brought to Hyderabad and sold to potential buyers at higher prices.
The accused have been handed over to Nampally police for further investigation. Police have advised citizens to ensure that SIM purchases and KYC updates are done only at authorized network outlets and centers.
Published – 18 Jan 2026 19:32 IST