PTA Blocks thousands of Illegal Sims as Crackdown continues

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has escalated its nationwide crackdown on illegal SIM cards, successfully blocking over 163,000 such connections across the country’s provinces.

Beyond the initial 163,000, the Authority has undertaken a more extensive campaign, permanently blocking over 6.4 million unused SIMs to deter scammers and fraudsters. This significant move targets a large pool of dormant connections that could potentially be reactivated for illicit purposes.

Further detailing the scope of this crackdown, the PTA has also blocked:

• 2.989 million SIM cards that were registered to the identities of deceased individuals, preventing their misuse.
• 171 SIMs found to be registered under the names of unrelated women in newly merged districts, highlighting a specific area of fraudulent activity.
• 69,246 SIMs linked to canceled identity cards, addressing connections that should no longer be active.
• 783,000 SIM cards connected with over 360,000 expired identification cards, as per PTA records.

To enforce these measures, the PTA has significantly increased its surveillance and enforcement efforts. A total of 62 raids have been conducted around the country, leading to the arrest of 72 individuals involved in the illegal sale of SIM cards.

During these operations, authorities recovered 193 illicit biometric devices and 11,470 illegal SIM cards. Furthermore, approximately 296,000 digital fingerprints linked to fraudulent biometric data were seized, underscoring the sophisticated nature of these illegal operations.

This comprehensive crackdown by the PTA was often done in collaboration with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing. It demonstrates a strong commitment to enhancing the security of telecommunication services and protecting citizens from fraud and other criminal activities facilitated by illegal SIM usage