Tech Desk 
Sep 04, 2025
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has partnered with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to enhance enforcement against illegal SIM activations and related activity in Karachi.
The collaboration came after PTA's Zonal Office received a complaint, and the authorities decided to target the locations involved in the illegal voice-via-data telecom activity.
According to officials, NCCIA raided a telecom franchise in the Al Falah Society area of Shah Faisal Colony, recovering suspected devices and arrested three suspects, including the franchise owner and manager. An FIR has been lodged, and further investigations are underway.
This operation is part of a wider national crackdown on SIM-related problems that often leads to phishing scams, fraud, and grey-telecom activity.
Earlier this year, at a recent presentation to parliament's Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, officials briefed the committee on how NCCIA showed greatly improved cooperation and collaboration with PTA to limit the misuse of SIMs which were particularly used in scams against individuals who have benefits under a welfare programme.
In Karachi, a series of raids had taken place in the last several days of the summer season. The authorities raided in July and dismantled networks involved in issuing unauthorised SIMs alongside grey-telecom activity. There were many arrests made, and authorities recovered biometric data in very large quantities.
Last month, the PTA administration reported on the seizure of equipment that was multiple biometric verification system devices (BVS) used to sell SIM cards illegally, which revealed the scale of the issue.
Authorities have warned that enforcement will continue against any outlet violating Pakistan’s KYC and biometric verification regulations. The public is urged to report suspicious SIM-related activity through PTA and NCCIA hotlines.
