SIM cards ‘accessible’ to militants
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Rajouri, April 26
Militants may easily buy mobile SIM cards in Rajouri and Poonch border districts in someone’s name just by paying extra money as mobile service providers are allegedly selling them without proper verification. However, a local mobile service provider claimed that they issue SIM cards only after proper verification and these were mere allegations.

“Any person who wishes to buy a SIM card gives the documents and passport-size photos to the retailer for getting a connection. The retailer after getting the signatures of the applicant processes the form. Instead of processing the form for a single connection, the retailer then gets a scanned copy of photo and the document for getting additional SIM card for the same applicant. So for one applicant, the retailer gets two SIM cards issued and gives one to the applicant, keeping the other for selling at higher prices to any person without proper verification,” a reliable intelligence told The Tribune. He said even militants had been found using mobile SIM cards.

An Army source told The Tribune that the matter is significant especially after reports of a large number of infiltrators managing to sneak into India as they may use these SIM cards. “In the interest of national security, it becomes the responsibility of mobile operators to issue SIM cards only after proper verification and the police should also periodically check the records of the retailers,” he added.

“Last year in September, 70 SIM cards have been seized from a youth in the Buddhal area. Even in the Surankote area, some youths were allegedly involved in selling SIM cards to militants. We have a clear information that militants are utilising the services of mobile operators in the state,” a police officer said.