BHUBANESWAR, Aug 22: In a major revelation, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack police commissioner Sanjeeb Panda on Thursday said the SIM boxes set up here and in Ranchi were directly controlled from Dhaka in Bangladesh.
Panda told reporters that Asadur Zaman, a 30-year-old from Feni in Bangladesh, set up the SIM box operation, with West Bengal’s Raju Mandal serving as the local help.
Asadur controlled the SIM boxes in Bhubaneswar and Ranchi remotely using smart switches, while the SIM boxes in Cuttack were operated manually, Panda said.
Police said they have obtained detailed information, including a photograph of Asadur.
SIM boxes are used to hide original phone numbers and are often employed for cybercrime, hate speech, extortion, and other illegal activities, posing challenges for law enforcement agencies.
“He ran a software company in Dhaka and had previously studied at a fashion and technology institute. Investigation revealed that the racket rerouted international calls from Pakistan, China, and West Asia to India,” Panda added.
Recently, a special police team from Odisha visited Ranchi in Jharkhand and found another SIM box centre operated by Mandal, who was arrested from Bhubaneswar on August 16. So far, police have seized 17 SIM boxes from Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Ranchi.
Police have also confiscated 678 operational SIM cards, three internet connections, and spare SIM cards.
Panda said they have obtained details of some SIM cards from telecom operators and are currently analysing this information.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Department of Telecom have interrogated Raju Mandal, police said.
“Police remand for Mandal is set to conclude on Thursday, and they plan to request an extension for another seven days to gather more information about the case,” Panda added.
Panda added that they will seek Interpol’s assistance through the CBI to acquire more details about Asadur.
According to police, Asadur’s Indian visa is valid until October 24, 2024.
He entered India through the integrated check post (ICP) Agartala on October 21, 2023, and left for Bangladesh on December 24, 2023, via ICP Haridaspur in West Bengal, police said.
Mandal visited Bangladesh by bus through Basirhat border and occasionally visited Bangaon for business purposes, where he met Asadur, police added.
Together, they planned and established the SIM box operation in India. Mandal would travel weekly from West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas to Cuttack to manage the SIM boxes, including overseeing internet and electricity services. (PTI)
