Author: Farhad Khan

Since 2020, law enforcement agencies have conducted just 27 investigations into serious crimes linked to SIM card fraud, resulting in only one arrest (later withdrawn) and zero convictions. This shocking revelation, disclosed in a recent parliamentary response from the Minister of Police, exposes a critical failure in the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act (RICA). Unregistered SIMs: A Gateway for Crime Every year, thousands of cases involving extortion, kidnapping, murder, and financial fraud are tied to unregistered SIM cards. Yet, the near-total absence of prosecutions signals a systemic breakdown in enforcement. 62% of extortion cases involve unregistered SIMs. 58% of mobile banking fraud incidents stem from SIM swaps. Zero RICA convictions embolden criminals,…