India’s telecom infrastructure is increasingly being brought into focus as authorities step up efforts to counter the growing threat of digital fraud. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), through its Licensed Service Areas (LSAs), has been working across states to curb misuse of telecom resources, bust illegal SIM operations, and strengthen preventive enforcement in coordination with law enforcement agencies.
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The efforts come amid rising instances of fraud linked to unauthorised SIM usage, stolen mobile devices, and illegal communication setups that are often used as enablers for phishing attempts and impersonation scams.
Illegal SIM Box Setup Busted in Bihar
As part of enforcement actions undertaken during the current financial year, the DoT Bihar LSA, along with officers from the State Economic Offences Unit (EoU) and Bihar Police, busted an illegal SIM box setup in Madhubani. Authorities arrested the alleged kingpin along with two point-of-sale (PoS) agents and an accomplice linked to the operation.
Illegal SIM box setups typically allow international calls to be routed through local telecom networks using locally issued SIM cards, bypassing authorised gateways and masking the origin of communication. Such routing methods are often linked to scam call operations and other forms of telecom-enabled fraud.
CEIR Portal Aids Recovery of Lost Mobile Phones
Telecom authorities are also working with law enforcement agencies to tackle mobile device theft, which can sometimes act as a gateway for further misuse.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district, police traced and returned 281 lost mobile phones worth approximately Rs 75 lakh to their original owners with assistance from the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal.
Similar recovery efforts were reported in Gujarat, where Modasa Town Police traced and returned 15 lost mobile phones valued at Rs 2.59 lakh using the Sanchar Saathi platform.
Meanwhile, in Madhya Pradesh’s Dindori district, 151 lost mobile devices worth an estimated Rs 32.50 lakh were recovered on February 6, 2026, with the help of the DoT CEIR portal and the district cyber team.
Coordination With Cyber Crime Units
Efforts to improve coordination between telecom authorities and law enforcement agencies are also underway in several states.
In Manipur, officials from the DoT North East LSA State Coordination Unit met with the Superintendent of Police (Cyber Crime), who is also the nodal officer for the CEIR portal, to discuss enhanced utilisation of the system among police personnel and updates to PIN code mapping.
Similarly, a team from the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, visited the DoT Kolkata LSA to discuss mitigation of telecom fraud through improved preventive and coordination mechanisms.
Awareness Drives for Telecom Retailers
Apart from enforcement actions, LSAs have also been conducting awareness initiatives to educate telecom retailers and users on safe telecom practices.
On January 28, 2026, the DoT Tamil Nadu LSA conducted a virtual awareness session on PoS compliance and the Sanchar Saathi initiative. The session, attended by 71 PoS representatives from the Trichy and Madurai business areas of BSNL Tamil Nadu, focused on modules related to cyber fraud awareness and reporting mechanisms.
In Haryana, an interactive awareness workshop was held at the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, on January 29, 2026. The session, led by Sh. Sanchit Kumar Garg, Director (Compliance), HR LSA, covered cyber fraud risks, digital safety measures, and citizen-centric initiatives undertaken by the DoT.
Preventive Telecom Enforcement Gains Importance
Addressing telecom-level vulnerabilities is becoming increasingly important as communication networks continue to play a central role in authentication and financial transactions across digital platforms.
Through enforcement actions, device recovery initiatives, and awareness drives conducted in coordination with state police and other agencies, DoT LSAs are working to counter telecom fraud within their respective circles and strengthen preventive safeguards across India’s telecom ecosystem.
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