Russian police announced on Tuesday the initiation of the first criminal investigation related to a newly implemented law that prohibits the transfer of mobile phone numbers to unauthorized individuals.
This regulation, enacted earlier this year, explicitly forbids individuals from transferring SIM cards or phone numbers to anyone other than immediate family members. Officials claim that this law is designed to combat scams, spam, and prevent circumvention of communication restrictions through the use of anonymously rented SIM cards.
Breaches of this law could result in administrative fines, and repeat offenders may face imprisonment for up to one year.
A resident from Khmkhi, a suburb of northern Moscow, has been accused of using counterfeit powers of attorney to establish mobile service contracts under the names of various companies, as stated by the Interior Ministry.
The report revealed that the individual, whose name has not been disclosed, was allegedly passing the SIM cards to unnamed third parties for a fee of 9,000 rubles ($111) for each contract successfully signed. Details regarding the subsequent use of the SIM cards were not provided.
A video released by the Interior Ministry depicted masked officers breaking down the door of an apartment with a sledgehammer and restraining a man inside.
Additionally, the statement indicated that police confiscated smartphones, SIM cards, and documents during the raid and are currently investigating potential accomplices.
