PTA Strengthens Measures against Illegal SIM Issuance

Islamabad (22 February 2024): The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority
(PTA) Zonal Office in Lahore, in close collaboration with the Federal
Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Circle, conducted a successful raid
against franchisee of a mobile phone company located in Raiwind. This
franchisee was found to be involved in the illegal issuance of SIMs.
During the raid, 256 active SIMs were discovered. The FIA team confiscated
these active SIMs along with 16 BVS devices as evidence. One person was
also apprehended on the premises by the FIA team. FIA is currently
investigating the matter further. PTA had filed complaint with FIA earlier based
on information regarding illegal issuance of SIMs by the sale channel.
The recent raid is part of PTA's ongoing efforts to prevent the circumvention of
the Multi-Finger Biometric Verification System (MBVS). This steadfast
dedication underscores the Authority's resolve to combat the illegal issuance
of SIMs.