Assam Police Bust Cyber Fraud Ring and Solve Highway Streetlight Theft

Guwahati: Dhubri Police broke a major SIM card fraud ring on Thursday, July 16. Two men stand accused of activating mobile connections for cybercriminals across India. The probe began after a high-priority alert reached the Special Superintendent of Police in Dhubri. The Director of Telecommunications flagged 45 fraudulent numbers linked to Pakhi Enterprise and Dr Tele Services.

Officers identified the suspects as Ataur Rahman, a Vodafone-Idea distributor, and Noor Islam, a retailer. They bypassed mandatory Know Your Customer norms using forged documents. These illicit SIM cards fueled digital arrest frauds and phishing scams. Investigators seized two phones and multiple SIM cards from the duo. Sub-Inspector J.M. Kalita leads the probe into the wider network. Police charged the men under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, covering criminal conspiracy and forgery. Both suspects appeared before a Dhubri court.

In a separate operation, North Bongaigaon Outpost Police recovered 120 stolen streetlights. The items vanished from Richa Infrastructure on April 1, with total losses exceeding 200 units. Investigators arrested truck driver Mojeddin Ali and truck owner Sahabuddin Ali from Chirang district. Officers seized the truck, bearing registration AS 28 C 9455, used to haul the loot. Police confirmed, "The investigation is continuing to recover the remaining stolen property and identify the entire network involved in the theft." Authorities remain on the hunt for additional suspects linked to the highway heist.