The Ministry of Transport and Communications released the abovementioned public announcement on 26th September.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications said that they are making efforts to protect mobile communication service users and to protect them from fraudulent activities related to financial services and e-commerce conducted through mobile communication systems. It is published to assist in the investigation and identification of the criminals of such crimes.
The SAC announced that it is discovered and investigated that the SIM cards are being sold without proper registration processes but selling by street vendors, operators' points of sale, and mobile shops.
Unregistered or improperly registered SIM cards create challenges in combating and preventing crimes such as fraud and deception in financial services and other online activities.
In the announcement, it stated that unregistered SIM cards are being used to assist in committing cybercrimes, threats, blackmail, and fraud through various online platforms, posing a potential threat to the country's peace, stability, and enforcement of laws and order.
In the announcement, the Ministry of Transport and Communications emphasized the importance of proper and systematic sale and transfer of the SIM cards.
The Ministry notified that failure to comply with the law will result in enforcement under Section 72 of the Telecommunications Law.
In the Telecommunications law, it states that whoever contravenes any prohibition contained in rules, regulations, by-laws, notifications, orders, directives and procedures issued under this Law shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or with fine or with both.