BENGALURU: Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths busted an international illegal telephone racket operating in the city, and arrested two persons who were converting international calls into local ones using a SIM box and mobile app, causing loss of several crores of rupees to the government and telecom companies.
A SIM box is a device that allows the routing of phone calls through VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) networks, effectively bypassing traditional international routes and terminating calls as local. It houses multiple SIM cards and connects to a VoIP gateway.
The accused have been identified as Fayaz MA (31) and Mohammed Saffaf (30), both natives of Malappuram in Kerala.
According to police, a relative of one of the accused, who works in Dubai, found that migrant workers were struggling to make calls to India due to high call charges. The relative then shared this information with the accused, suggesting they could make money by facilitating cheaper calls.
The accused procured SIM cards from foreign countries via courier, and used the SIM box to route calls illegally. They made crores of rupees through the racket and transferred a share of the profits to their handler every month through hawala channels. They had been operating the racket from a rented accommodation in Immadihalli in Whitefield for the past six months, police said.
Based on a complaint from a private telecom service provider and the Department of Telecommunications on July 30, CCB officials raided the premises and arrested the duo. They seized 703 SIM cards and other equipment. The total loss to the exchequer is currently under investigation.
