Ghost SIM Crackdown: STF Takes 10 Suspects to Guwahati for Intensive Interrogation

In a sweeping anti-terror crackdown under the banner of ‘Operation Ghost SIM’, the Assam Police's Special Task Force (STF), in coordination with local police, has unearthed a high-tech jihadi module operating through fraudulent SIM cards. The network allegedly routed one-time passwords (OTPs) for WhatsApp activation to Pakistan, facilitating foreign-based anti-India activities masked under domestic numbers.

On Saturday, 14 suspected jihadis, including three women, were detained from various locations across Bilasipara in western Assam. After initial interrogation, four individuals, including all three women, were released. The remaining 10 suspects were brought to Guwahati for further questioning.

The crackdown is part of a larger probe into the use of fake SIM cards for creating WhatsApp accounts, which intelligence agencies believe were being used for anti-national operations coordinated from Pakistan. The scale of the operation has raised serious concerns over national security vulnerabilities posed by such cyber networks.

The operation was triggered by inputs from Gajraj Military Intelligence, which were refined into actionable intelligence by the Special Branch and the STF. Based on this, the STF filed STF PS Case No. 02/2025 on May 14, 2025, under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and the Information Technology Act.

On May 16, simultaneous raids were carried out across five districts — Dhubri and Morigaon in Assam, Bharatpur and Alwar in Rajasthan, and Sangareddy in Telangana. The raids led to the arrest of seven key operatives, identified as:

• Saddik (47) – Bharatpur, Rajasthan

• Arif Khan (20) – Alwar, Rajasthan

• Sajid (21) – Alwar, Rajasthan

• Akeek (25) – Bharatpur, Rajasthan; nabbed at Guwahati airport

• Arsad Khan (34) – Bharatpur, Rajasthan; arrested at New Delhi airport

• Mofijul Islam (19) – Dhubri, Assam; arrested in Sangareddy, Telangana

• Jakariya Ahmad (24) – Dhubri, Assam

During the raids, 948 fake SIM cards were recovered. These SIMs are suspected to have been instrumental in operating WhatsApp accounts run from Pakistan and may be part of a larger cybercrime and terror financing network.

Reacting to the developments, the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) has urged the state police to maintain strict vigilance to prevent further jihadi activities in Bilasipara and its adjoining areas.

Also Read: Operation GHOST SIM: Assam Police Busts Massive Fake SIM Racket with Links to Pakistan