The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested an Airtel distributor in Vaishali, Bihar, over the alleged fraudulent issuance of SIM cards that were later used in an illegal SIM Box operation linked to cyber-enabled frauds. The arrest followed searches at 10 locations in Vaishali district and Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha on 12.09.2026.

The agency identified the arrested person as an area Airtel distributor for Mahua, Vaishali. It said the distributor had issued a large number of SIM cards fraudulently and passed them on for use in the SIM Box network.

What the CBI found

Searches resulted in the seizure of mobile phones, laptops and SIM cards, along with other incriminating material, according to the CBI. The case concerns an illegal SIM Box operation first detected in Supaul district of Bihar last year before being transferred to the agency.

More than 1300 SIM cards were found in the house where the SIM Box was being operated. After extensively analysing data connected with those cards, investigators identified suspected points of sale and found that most of the cards had been issued from Bihar and Odisha.

The investigation further indicated that more than 700 SIM cards were issued by an area Airtel distributor using credentials from more than 200 points of sale for SIM cards in Vaishali district. The agency said several subscribers reported that they had not known a SIM card was issued in their names.

How the cards were allegedly obtained

According to the CBI, subscribers were deceived into authorising e-KYC multiple times when they visited a genuine SIM-card provider for another purpose. In other cases, biometric data collected for a different reason was allegedly misused to issue additional cards.

The agency’s data analysis linked the SIM Box operation to at least 73 cybercrime cases across India. These included cases involving the “Digital Arrest” modus operandi, in which victims are targeted through fraudulent claims of official action.

The CBI said the investigation was transferred by the Government of Bihar. The case includes allegations relating to cheating, forgery and extortion under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, identity theft, computer-related offences under the Information Technology Act and other offences under the Telecommunication Act 2022.

Why the case matters

The investigation places SIM-card issuance and telecom infrastructure at the centre of a wider cyber-fraud inquiry. The agency’s findings indicate that cards registered in subscribers’ names could be diverted into an illegal network without their knowledge, while distribution credentials were used to generate cards beyond legitimate customer requirements.

The CBI said it is taking legal action against individuals and entities that enable cyber fraud by misusing telecom infrastructure. It also cautioned that there is no such concept as a “digital arrest”.

Members of the public were urged not to respond to calls made in the name of law-enforcement agencies that demand money or promote fraudulent investment schemes.

Conclusion

The CBI’s action follows an investigation linking an illegal SIM Box network to cybercrime cases across India and to the fraudulent issuance of SIM cards in subscribers’ names. The probe covers the distributor’s alleged role, the points of sale involved and related offences under criminal, information-technology and telecom laws.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Who was arrested in the SIM-card case?

The CBI arrested an Airtel area distributor for Mahua in Vaishali, Bihar.

Q. Where did the CBI conduct searches?

Searches took place at 10 locations in Vaishali district of Bihar and Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha.

Q. How many SIM cards were found in the SIM Box location?

More than 1300 SIM cards were found in the house where the illegal SIM Box was being operated.

Q. How many cybercrime cases were linked to the operation?

CBI data connected the operation to at least 73 cybercrime cases across India.

Q. What is a “Digital Arrest”?

The CBI referred to “Digital Arrest” as a modus operandi involved in some of the linked cybercrime cases and said there is no such concept as a “digital arrest”.

Q. What did subscribers report?

Some subscribers said they did not know that SIM cards had been issued in their names.

Q. What offences are covered by the investigation?

The case includes allegations of cheating, forgery, extortion, identity theft, computer-related offences and offences under the Telecommunication Act 2022.