He used the funds to pay for luxury holidays in Dubai, a high-end apartment in Canary Wharf, London, and gold-plated teeth grills.
A 25-year-old man has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison in the UK for his role in a SIM-swapping fraud that led to the theft of nearly Rs 2.56 crore in cryptocurrency from four victims. Ajay Shinjin, also known as AJ Marley Cruz, received more than 44,000 pounds of the stolen money. He used the funds to pay for luxury holidays in Dubai, a high-end apartment in Canary Wharf, London, and gold-plated teeth grills, according to a press release by City Of London Police.
Shinjin was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on October 8, 2026, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and transferring criminal property on September 28.
How the SIM-Swapping Fraud Worked
The case dates back to the first week of November 2021, when telecommunications company BT detected unauthorised activity on its systems. Investigators found that customers’ phone numbers had been transferred to SIM cards controlled by criminals.
Known as SIM swapping, the technique allows fraudsters to take control of a victim’s phone number and intercept one-time passwords (OTPs) sent through text messages. These codes can then be used to access accounts, including cryptocurrency wallets.
During the investigation, BT identified devices used to receive the transferred phone numbers. Information provided by the company helped investigators identify several suspects, including Shinjin, who was linked to four SIM-swapping devices.
Police identified four victims whose cryptocurrency was stolen between November 2 and November 7, 2021.
One victim lost around 40,000 pounds in cryptocurrency, of which approximately 27,000 pounds was transferred to Shinjin’s personal crypto account. Another victim lost about 17,000 pounds, which was later found in his wallet.
A third victim lost approximately 8,000 pounds from a Coinbase account, with Shinjin helping facilitate the theft. A fourth victim lost around 130,000 pounds over November 6 and 7, with Shinjin also linked to the theft.
Arrested After Returning From Dubai
Shinjin was first arrested at his flat in 2021. He was arrested again at Heathrow Airport in October 2023 when he returned from Dubai, after investigators uncovered further evidence linking him to the operation.
He later pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison.
Detective Constable Simon Ardeman of the City of London Police described the case as a complex fraud that caused significant financial harm to several victims. “By deliberating exploiting SIM-swap technology, Shinjin was able to gain access to cryptocurrency accounts and steal nearly 200,000 pounds from multiple victims’ accounts. SIM-swap fraud is a sophisticated and increasingly concerning form of offending, and this case demonstrates the devastating consequences it can have for victims. This conviction sends a clear message that those who use technology to commit fraud will be brought to justice.”
