2 arrested in Bengal for supplying OTPs, SIM access to foreign operatives

The Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal Police has arrested two persons from Murshidabad for allegedly operating an illegal One-Time Password (OTP) sharing racket with suspected cross-border links, officials said.

The accused, identified as Juhab and Suman, are alleged to have supplied OTPs and SIM-linked digital access to handlers based in Pakistan and Bangladesh, raising concerns of potential misuse for fraud and activities linked to national security.

The investigation began on February 10 after STF officers, acting on a tip-off, arrested Juhab in Murshidabad district. During interrogation, investigators traced his associate Suman, who was arrested on Sunday, February 22, and later produced before a Bidhan Nagar court, which remanded him to police custody.

Officials said the duo allegedly used WhatsApp and other digital platforms to sell OTPs to third parties in exchange for money, allowing unauthorised access to online accounts and mobile-linked services.

LINKS TO FOREIGN HANDLERS UNDER PROBE

According to investigators, the accused were allegedly acting on the instructions of handlers operating from Pakistan and Bangladesh. Police sources said the suspects shared OTP credentials to help create and operate social media and other digital accounts from within India.

The duo was also allegedly tasked with procuring SIM cards, activating mobile numbers and transferring operational control of these accounts to foreign-based handlers.

Authorities believe such access could have enabled identity theft, financial fraud and the creation of fake Indian digital identities.

NATIONAL SECURITY ANGLE EMERGES

Officials said provisions under laws related to communication security and the Immigration and Foreigners framework were invoked during the investigation, indicating possible use of the illegally obtained credentials to facilitate unlawful entry or stay of foreign nationals in India.

Investigators suspect the OTP network may have functioned as logistical digital support infrastructure, enabling anonymous online operations within the country.

ARRESTS COME AMID WIDER TERROR PROBE

Suman’s arrest coincided with a separate operation by the Delhi Police, which recently uncovered an alleged terror module linked to the Pakistan-based outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba and Pakistan’s intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence.

Police in that case arrested eight suspects from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, some of whom were allegedly Bangladeshi nationals using forged Aadhaar identities. Investigators claimed the module was planning a major terror strike under the direction of foreign handlers, with reconnaissance videos of several Indian cities, including Delhi, recovered from mobile phones.

The STF said sustained interrogation of the Murshidabad accused is underway to establish possible operational links and the full extent of the network.

- Ends

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