In a significant crackdown on cyber-enabled financial fraud, the Bengaluru police have uncovered and dismantled a sophisticated illegal telephone exchange operating from a residential property in Electronics City. The raid led to the seizure of equipment valued at approximately Rs 40 lakh, allegedly used to convert international calls into local ones, posing a threat to national security and causing revenue losses.
The Raid and Major Seizure
Acting on a complaint filed by a Vodafone Idea territory sales manager on November 28 at the Cyber Crime police station, a joint team from the Cyber Crime unit and the Central Crime Branch (CCB) conducted the operation. The illicit setup was housed in a residence that was found locked from the outside, with no individuals present at the time of the raid.
The police confiscated a substantial cache of equipment, which included:
- 28 SIM boxes
- 1,193 SIM cards from various telecom operators
- One laptop
- Three routers
- One MI portable CC camera
- Several incriminating documents
Modus Operandi and Security Threat
According to Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh, the illegal exchange was designed to bypass legitimate international gateways. By using SIM boxes—devices that can house multiple SIM cards—the operators were converting international calls into local calls. This method, known as SIM boxing or interconnection bypass fraud, not only causes significant financial losses to the government and telecom companies but also jeopardizes national security by masking the true origin of calls, which can be exploited for criminal activities.
"We suspect there is financial and revenue loss to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and telecom companies," stated Commissioner Singh. Preliminary investigations indicate that the seized SIM cards and boxes were instrumental in carrying out various cybercrimes.
Investigation Points to International Links
The early findings of the probe suggest that the prime accused is from Kerala and is currently based in Dubai, indicating the racket was being operated remotely. The police are examining the possibility of the equipment being used for other illegal activities beyond call fraud.
A crucial lead came from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) portal, where several cases have already been registered against the phone numbers linked to the seized SIM cards. Authorities are now verifying the registration details of these SIM cards and cross-referencing cases registered in other jurisdictions to unravel the full extent of the network.
This bust highlights the growing challenge of tech-savvy cybercrimes and the continuous efforts by law enforcement to protect critical telecommunications infrastructure and citizen security.
