The investigation into the abduction and killing of a nine-year-old has led police in Malda to bust a racket involved in collecting mobile SIM cards against forged documents.

Three persons, who are suspected to be associated with the racket, have been arrested and searches are on to nab some others.

On August 9, Umar Faruque, son of Trinamul panchayat member Hafijul Islam, had been kidnapped from near his house at Amlitala village under Mothabari police station of the district.

Soon after the boy went missing, his father received an anonymous call which asked him to pay Rs 50 lakh as ransom for his son’s release. The lifeless body of the boy was found on Wednesday.

While probing the case, the police found out that the SIM card from which the ransom call had been made had been procured with forged documents.

“Rashidul Sheikh, the boy’s cousin and his friend Ramzan Sheikh, who were arrested in connection with the kidnap and the killing, admitted that they had taken the help of a racket providing SIM cards against fake documents,” said a police officer.

“We grilled some traders who sell SIM cards and they admitted that issuing SIM against forged documents was common. We suspect a racket supplies SIM cards to people involved in criminal activities at higher prices. So far, three persons, who are suspected to be members of such a racket, have been arrested and search is on to find some more,” said an officer of Mothabari police station.

Those arrested have been identified as Abu Bakkar Siddique, Sayem Islam and Noor Taslim.

An investigator said on Thursday that all the five had been produced in a court and remanded in police custody for seven days.