Malappuram: The Malappuram Cyber Crime Police have arrested a suspect believed to be behind the distribution of SIM cards to online trading fraudsters, whose act caused a substantial loss of Rs 1.08 crore to a person. Abdulroshan (46), a resident of Delhi, was arrested from his rented accommodation in Madikeri, Karnataka.

District Police Chief S Sasidharan stated that a complaint lodged by a Malappuram resident, reporting a loss of Rs 1.08 crore, prompted the investigation into the fraud. It was discovered that Abdulroshan facilitated the acquisition of SIM cards for a gang involved in extorting money through fraudulent online stock market websites. 

The Malappuram resident stumbled upon a link to a counterfeit stock market site on Facebook. Upon clicking the link, the person was enticed with lucrative offers and compelled to deposit funds into various bank accounts. Eventually, the victim realised that his investments had vanished without any returns.

Abdulroshan was found in possession of over 40,000 SIM cards from various network providers, more than 180 mobile phones, and six biometric scanners. He was employed as a distributor of a network provider, and orchestrated scams by employing a counterfeit SIM card registered under the identity of a young woman. Additionally, he obtained SIM cards from other network providers using the credentials of unsuspecting customers. Once activated, these cards were handed over to fraudsters.

The suspect's modus operandi involved forwarding One-Time Passwords (OTPs) to fraudsters for creating fake accounts on numerous social media and commercial platforms.