18-year-old Russian detained in Almaty with 300 SIM cards

Tengrinews.kz - In Almaty, an 18-year-old Russian citizen was caught using SIM-Box criminal equipment to spoof phone numbers, citing the city prosecutor’s office.

He was detained in an apartment during an operational raid, where officers seized the SIM-Box, more than 300 SIM cards from Kazakhstani mobile operators, and other equipment.

“An investigation has been launched under Article 213 of the Criminal Code (‘Illegal use of software allowing the alteration of a subscriber device’s identification code’), which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison,” the statement said.

According to the authorities, seven similar cases have been sent to court this year, with four resulting in convictions.

“The Almaty Prosecutor’s Office urges citizens to be vigilant and not to share their bank card details or access codes with strangers. Anyone with information on the possible use of such equipment should report it to law enforcement agencies,” the statement added.

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