Spain's first SIM card farm has been shut down in Alicante, sending up to 2.5 million fraudulent SMS messages per day.

The Alicante Civil Guard reported the neutralization of Spain's first industrial SIM card "farm" used for mass phone and SMS fraud. The operation, dubbed "Mosenic," resulted in the arrest of a 41-year-old man, who allegedly created and maintained a system that provided services to international cybercriminal groups.

According to investigators, the infrastructure was capable of sending up to 2.5 million SMS messages per day and making calls impersonating official institutions, including the Bank of Spain and the National Police. The attacks primarily targeted Ukrainian and Russian citizens residing in Spain. In one confirmed incident, the victim suffered €170,000 in damages.

The arrest took place in Barcelona, ​​where the suspect operated equipment located in a bar, an apartment, and a rented warehouse. As a result of three searches, the following were seized:

35 SIMBOX devices (865 modems)

approximately 70,000 SIM cards, 852 of which were active

approximately 60,000 cards ready for use, and another 10,000 new

equipment valued at approximately €400,000

According to Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Poyato, this is the first such case in Spain, the second in Europe, and the third worldwide. The operation is ongoing, and investigators estimate the total damage could amount to "several million euros."

The investigation is being led by the Alicante Judicial Police Department, and the case is being heard by the No. 1 Investigation Court of Novelda. The suspect has been released on bail, but the investigation is ongoing.