Mumbai Crime Branch busts illegal mobile data selling racket

The Mumbai Police Crime Branch Unit-12 has dismantled a racket involved in the illegal sale of Call Detail Records (CDR), Subscriber Detail Records (SDR), mobile location data, and IMEI information. Nine individuals were arrested in connection with the operation, including five residents from Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Bihar. Notably, two of the suspects are constables serving in the Jharkhand and Bihar police forces.

The investigation revealed that a primary suspect operated on Instagram under the alias ‘Inspector Sanjay,’ falsely claiming to be a police officer. He used social media to promise victims that he could recover stolen or lost mobile phones. After collecting fees from individuals seeking help, he obtained their private CDR, SDR, and location data through illegal means.

Authorities seized mobile phones used in the scheme and determined that the group had illegally accessed approximately 50 CDRs, 520 SDRs, location data for 550 mobile numbers, and 420 IMEI numbers. The case has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act.