Laxmisagar PS case No – 449, accused arrested , SIMBOXES and other electronics items used to run the SIMBOXES seized

By Our Correspondent

BHUBANESWAR:  Laxmisagar  PS case No – 449, Dt 16.08.2024 , U/S – 318(4)/336(2)/340/3(5)/61(2)BNS , R/W S-66(C)/66(D) IT Act, 4/20/21/25 Indian Telegraph Act

The Incident  :-

Acting upon a piece of credible information that some illegal activitie is going on at the third floor of a 04 storied building situated at plot No – 2159 / 7010, Mahadev Nagar, Jharpada, P.S – Laxmisagar, Commissionerate Police conducted raid and nabbed one suspect. Seized SIMBOXES and other electronics items used to run the SIMBOXES. Further investigation on this issue is going on.  it is suspected that some non-Odia people were staying in that house on rent and have installed some mechanism used for telecommunication. Prima-facie, they were routing international and intranational calls from different countries and doing illegal and criminal activities since last 05 to 06 months.

Subsequent Incident :-

The processes of search was under taken in presence of DFSL team as well as experts from cyber division of SFSL Rasulgarh, BBSR.  On interrogation during search, Raju Mondal disclosed that they smuggled SIM boxes from outside India to run their activity and hundreds of illegally pre activated fake SIM cards in the name of different persons from West Bengal. One person helped him to arrange accommodation for installation of SIMBOX, broadband connections, procurement of FAKE SIM cards as well as running SIMBOXES without any disturbance. He maintains those boxes and ensures smooth functioning, change of damaged SIMS in time, recharge of SIMs etc. He  disclosed that this SIMBOX is actually meant for receiving of the VoIP International calls generating from foreign countries like Pakistan, China, and Middle East etc., bypassing the international telecom gateways of India and it terminated the said VoIP international calls in the receiver end as GSM local calls by using FAKE SIM Cards inserted in the SIMBOX.

Thus, they made their wrongful gain causing a huge loss of revenue to Department of Telecommunication of Govt of India as well as Indian Tele-Service Providers and they are being paid for running this type of SIMBOX setup from the foreign entities also. He is also well versed with the operation of the SIM boxes, thoroughly identified the apparatuses and mechanism installed there and explained the functions.  The live set up of SIMBOXES   comprising an array of SIM cards connected with INTERNET through a ROUTER, electrical power had been provided by a power cable from the Switch board to all the five SIMBOXES  as well as INTERNET ROUTERs. Each SIMBOX is connected with data cable and power cable with adapter. The set up was in operational mode as it was found that the power switch of the concerned  switch board was ON as well as the LED lights in SIMBOXES  and the concerned INTERNET ROUTERs were blinking.

Name and address of the accused persons :-

1. Raju Mondal (30), S/o- Narayan Mondal of Bajitpur, Baduria, North 24 Praganas, West Bengal. At/ Pr -Plot No – 2159 / 7010, At – Mahadev Nagar, Jharpada.

Article seized :

1. 05 numbers of operational SIM boxes.
2. Two numbers of reserved SIM boxes.
3. 225 numbers of operational SIMs from Sim box.
4. 500 numbers of new AIRTEL SIMs and 500 new SIM carrier.
5. 58 numbers of old unused AIRTEL SIMs.
6. Two numbers of TP-LINK wireless routers.
7. Optical fiber cable about one meter,
8. One wooden rack with six racks where the sim boxes were placed.
9. Three numbers of extension cords each having four sockets,
10. One black colour FUJITSU laptop of “L” series, model No L-1010 with charger and adapter and bag.
11. One VIVO smart phone
12. One black colour key pad mobile.
13. Two numbers of blue colour USB type -A cable.
14. One white smart switch socket with vodafoneSIM. .
15. One MODEM of Secure Eye brand.
16. One EXIDE inverter with battery.
17. The lock and key of the room

The spot house has been properly sealed and locked for the purpose of further investigation.

Motive:-

They made their wrongful gain causing a huge loss of revenue to Department of Telecommunication of Govt of India as well as Indian Tele-Service Providers and they are being paid for running this type of SIMBOX setup from the foreign entities also. In pursuant to criminal conspiracy with unidentified Foreign entities, the accused persons with their other associates were running SIMBOX racket by  procuring huge FAKE Indian SIM Cards in a fraudulent manner by deceiving innocent common Indian citizen with a view to route international calls into Indian Network through SIMBOX. Their involvement in anti-national activity, cyber fraud, extortion, threat calls and other subversive activity can not be ruled out

The C/A of the accused persons is to be verified.On further interrogation the accused disclosed about running of same SIM boxes at one  place of Odisha for which he will be on police remand for follow up action.