BHUBANESWAR: Bhubaneswar Police with the assistance of their counterparts in Cuttack on Sunday seized five more SIM boxes from the possession of West Bengal native Raju Mondal (30), who was arrested a day before from the capital city with seven such devices.
Special Squad, Laxmisagar police and Madhupatna police conducted a raid on the day and seized five operational SIM boxes, 236 active SIM cards, one modem, two routers and other articles from Mondal’s rented accommodation in Cuttack’s Kalyani Nagar area. Police said Mondal had taken the house on rent in Kalyani Nagar in December last year on the pretext of doing a clothing business. He has been paying the rent every month through a digital payments application.
One more member of the gang Asadur Zamaan, a Bangladeshi national, who had provided the SIM boxes and fake SIM cards to Mondal had reportedly visited Cuttack in December last year to oversee the operations of the devices. Zamaan was granted visa having validity till October, 2024.
Mondal was brought on five-day police remand to question him further about the SIM box racket and to ascertain in what type of crimes the devices were used. “During his remand period, Mondal will be interrogated to find out about the other members and the masterminds of the gang,” said DCP Prateek Singh.
Police had seized seven SIM boxes from Mondal’s rented accommodation at Mahadev Nagar area in Laxmisagar on Friday.