PTA and NCCIA Raid Illegal SIM Recharging Setup in Gilgit, Seize 600 SIMs.
✧ GENERATE BRIEFING +
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Zonal Office in Gilgit, alongside the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), executed a joint raid targeting an illicit telecom operation operating from residential premises behind NLI Market, Gilgit. The syndicate utilized illegal SIM networks to facilitate remote mobile account recharging, exploiting regional tax exemptions applicable in Gilgit-Baltistan to evade taxes and bypass regulatory controls.Authorities confiscated 600 active SIMs and 75 mobile phones from the site and apprehended one suspect. An FIR has been filed by the NCCIA as investigations continue.
In a joint intelligence-led operation, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Zonal Office Gilgit and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Gilgit shut down an underground operation running illegal SIM-based mobile recharging services.
The raid, conducted at a residential property situated behind NLI Market, targeted syndicates utilizing mass-registered active SIM cards to process remote mobile balance reloads. The network exploited regional tax exemptions unique to Gilgit-Baltistan to undercut standard tax structures, resulting in revenue losses to the national exchequer.
Seizures and Regulatory Crackdown
During the operation, law enforcement officers recovered 600 active SIM cards and 75 mobile handsets used to coordinate remote reloads and channel financial transactions outside formal, regulated gateways. One primary suspect was arrested on-site, and the NCCIA has registered a formal First Information Report (FIR) under applicable cybercrime and telecommunication laws.
The PTA reiterated that operations of this nature compromise national telecom databases, facilitate financial fraud, and damage state revenues. Regulators have intensified monitoring across remote regions to catch unauthorized bulk SIM activation hubs.
