Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Aug 20: The Commissionerate Police has expanded its investigation into the international SIM box racket recently uncovered in Bhubaneswar. On Tuesday, a police team was dispatched to Ranchi after Mandal, a native of West Bengal, disclosed during questioning that he had set up and was operating an additional SIM box at an undisclosed location in Ranchi.
On Monday, Commissioner of Police (CP) Sanjeeb Panda announced that a special team would travel to Ranchi with Mandal to seize the SIM box. This development follows the recent seizure of five active SIM boxes, two reserve SIM boxes, over 750 SIM cards, and various routers and equipment from a residence in Bhubaneswar.
The police have identified the racket as being run by a Bangladeshi national who used the Bhubaneswar setup to reroute international calls from Pakistan, China, and West Asia to India. SIM boxes, which mask original phone numbers, are commonly used for cybercrime, hate speech, terrorism, extortion, and other illegal activities, presenting significant challenges for law enforcement, CP Panda explained.
Last week, the Commissionerate Police, along with cyber experts, raided several locations in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack to uncover illegally installed SIM boxes. CP Panda revealed that Mandal had rented a house in Bhubaneswar in December 2023, under the guise of operating a cloth business, paying Rs 8,000 per month via Phone Pay.
