CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime wing busted a gang operating SIM boxes for a Chinese handler to route Voice over Internet Protocol calls from abroad as local calls.
Six people–H Habeeb Naina (41) of Ramanathapuram, S Vinoth (31) of Thanjavur, K Sarath Kumar (27) and his brother Immanuel from Chennai, K Saravanakumar of Kolathur, and S Pandeeswari (25) from Sivaganga–have been arrested.
Habeeb and Vinoth allegedly received multiple SIM boxes via courier through Chinese links and operated them from houses in gated communities in Kanathur and Kelambakkam and in Madurai, a release by police said.
14 high-capacity Quectel SIM boxes were seized in a raid. Probe showed the SIM boxes to be connected to many cases reported within and outside TN.
When Habeeb and Vinoth stopped receiving commission, they handed over the equipment to the brothers as instructed by their Chinese scamster.
Sarath opened many current and trust bank accounts to evade account freezing due to high value transactions. Saravanakumar was a relationship manager in a private bank, who created the accounts.
Pandeeswari worked at a point of sale store of a major telecom operator who issued the SIM cards. Further probe is under way to unearth the Chinese links, the release added.
14 high capacity SIM boxes seized
H Habeeb Naina (41) of Ramanathapuram, S Vinoth (31) of Thanjavur, K Sarath Kumar (27) and his brother Immanuel from Chennai, K Saravanakumar of Kolathur, and S Pandeeswari (25) from Sivaganga were among the gang who operated SIM boxes from gated communities in Kanathur & Kelambakkam