Jamshedpur, Sept. 24: If cellphones have enabled people to get in touch while on the move, they have also unwittingly emerged as a criminal-friendly tool.

However, SIM cards issued eagerly by service providers without proper verification of documents is the main reason for cellphones to fall in wrong hands.

In 2006, some senior BSNL officials of Jamshedpur had issued 64 SIM cards to a Patna-based person who had given a fake address.

That individual managed to disappear after committing some money-related crimes.

However, what was intriguing was that BSNL authorities who had issued the SIM cards in bulk did not think it was necessary to get the applicant’s documents, including the address proof, properly verified.

However, all this is set to change, as cellphone service providers operating in Jamshedpur would be under the scanner from now on.

The district police would tighten the noose on the service providers of various mobile phone companies, including Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, if they issue SIM cards without verifying the documents furnished by the applicant for getting a cell phone connection.

This move comes in the wake of the police stumbling upon numerous instances of criminals using cellphones to commit crimes like extortion, murder, abduction and extortions. In most cases, criminals managed to procure a SIM card by furnishing fake documents.

The most recent incident involving fake SIM cards was of course yesterday’s arrest of members belonging to an inter-state gang. The arrest of three criminals in Jamshedpur who were trying to extort money from a Jugsalai-based businessman revealed that all the members had cellphones. The SIM cards were issued on providing fake documents.

“Although the SIM cards in question were not issued from Jamshedpur, there was enough evidence to suggest that mobile phone service providers operating from the city have issued SIM cards to people without proper verification,” said East Singhbhum superintendent of police Navin Kumar Singh

A person seeking a SIM card from any mobile phone service provider has to give his or her identity and address proof.

It is common practice to submit a driving license for the one’s identity and bank pass book as a valid proof of address.

But in many cases, the service providers knowingly or unknowingly grant the applications without getting the documents verified.

On several occasions, service providers ignore the process of verification in a bid to give the customer a connection as fast as possible, citing “customer-friendliness” as a reason. Sometimes, they pass the application on the assumption that the documents must be genuine.

But in the recent past, many investigations have led into grievous cases stumbled up the fact that trailed a lead to the mobile phone procured on the basis of fake address-proof. Singh said he was going to ensure that if any criminal is nabbed with a a SIM card obtained through fake documents, then cellphone service providers responsible for issuing the SIM card would be taken to task.

“Fixing responsibility on the service providers is necessary, as more often than not, criminals manage to obtain the SIM cards by taking advantage of the loopholes in getting the mobile connection,” said the superintendent of police.