J&K Police inspects vendors to curb misuse of SIM cards in Valley
SRINAGAR: J&K Police on Saturday conducted a comprehensive inspection of SIM card vendors in several districts of Kashmir to prevent their misuse and ensure strict compliance with the established regulations, officials said.
The drives were carried out in Srinagar, Ganderbal, Anantnag, Budgam, Pulwama and Bandipora districts of the Valley, a police spokesman said.
The initiative is aimed to ensure that SIM cards are issued strictly in accordance with the prescribed rules, he said.
Special teams from each police station in all the five zones of Srinagar district were deployed to carry out the drive within their respective jurisdictions.
On the first day of the drive, scrutiny of more than 100 SIM card vendors was conducted to verify that cards are being issued only to individuals with genuine credentials, the spokesman said.
The drive is part of an ongoing effort to promote lawful usage of SIM cards and strengthen accountability of the vendors, he said.
The spokesman said similar drives were also conducted in Ganderbal, Anantnag, Budgam, Pulwama and Bandipora districts of the Valley with focus on verifying adherence to know your customer (KYC) norms, proper documentation, and preventing unauthorised issuance of SIM cards.
During the drive, credentials of SIM cards issued to various subscribers by the vendors were checked randomly viz-a-viz that of the end users, the spokesman said.
Special police teams directed the vendors for proper maintenance of records regarding issuances of SIM cards to subscribers as per telecom guidelines and security protocols governing the subject.
Necessary legal action will be initiated against SIM card vendors found violating the rules governing the subject, the spokesman said.
Police remain committed to safeguard the public and maintain the integrity of communication networks to prevent misuse of SIM cards for criminal activities, he said, adding that inspections will continue in the coming days to achieve the mandatory objective of security of all citizens. (PTI)
