Cyberfraud syndicate that use illegal SIM boxes busted
The operation led to the seizure of four SIM box devices and arrest of one Mukesh Kumar from Narayanpur village in Bhojpur district.
Acting on specific intelligence and technical surveillance, a special investigation team was formed under the additional director general of EOU and deputy inspector general (cybercrime) Sanjay Kumar. The operation was led by cyber DSP Pankaj Kumar.
Sanjay Kumar said investigation revealed that the SIM boxes were used to operate a parallel exchange, converting international VOIP calls into local GSM calls illegally.
"This facilitated cyberfrauds, originating from international scam hubs in countries like Cambodia and Thailand, target Indian citizens. Preliminary investigations suggest that thousands of fraudulent calls were made daily using these SIM boxes, causing significant revenue loss to the department of telecommunications worth crores of rupees, which is currently being assessed," the DIG said, further revealing that the operation requires a large number of illegal SIM cards.
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The investigation also uncovered a network where SIM suppliers colluded with telecom service distributors.
"Some common service centre operators misled the public by promising benefits from fake govt schemes, collecting biometric data, and using it to obtain SIM cards in bulk through telecom distributors and retailers. These SIM cards were then used for cyberfraud via SIM boxes," he said.
The DIG added that the investigation has also identified other suspects and locations, which are currently being raided. The syndicate's exposure has linked it to several cases reported on National Cybercrime Reporting Portal across the country.
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