TN police bust international SIM box network; 3 held in Delhi

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing headquarters has busted yet another international SIM box network and arrested a gang from Delhi who were operating on behalf of cyber fraudsters based abroad. In the latest bust, police seized 24 SIM boxes from Delhi.

A SIM box routes international calls back into the network as local calls, using hundreds of low-cost or even unpaid SIM cards, which are often obtained with forged identities, according to reports, thereby benefiting from exploiting the difference between local and international charges by paying just local rates to cell carriers after billing international rates from the source. The caller pays the high call rates, but the local telecom operator does not get the revenue.

In the case of cyber fraudsters, SIM boxes were actively used for the digital arrest scam orchestrated by the international cyber scam compounds. Digital arrest involves cyber fraudsters calling up gullible public, claiming to be officials from law enforcement, and creating a make-believe situation as if the public or their family member were involved in a crime, to extort money from them.

Last month, multiple raids were conducted across Tamil Nadu, resulting in the seizure of 14 high-capacity SIM boxes in Chennai and the arrest of six suspects. Subsequent investigations led to the recovery of one additional SIM box, while another five SIM boxes were found to have been destroyed by the accused in Ramanathapuram District, fearing arrest by the police.

Further investigation revealed that the key suspect had handed over 8 SIM Boxes in Delhi. It was found that the same network has operations extending to Delhi and Mumbai, with the mastermind operating from Bihar.

Police teams spread out to Delhi, Bihar, and Maharashtra, leading to the identification of SIM boxes at 2 locations in New Delhi.

The main handler of these SIM box operations was identified as Sohel Alamnuddin, a native of Kishanganj District, Bihar, who is currently absconding, police said. The special team has arrested Tarikh Alam (19) and two of his associates, Lokesh Kumar (33) and Ashok Kumar (40)

“In a consorted fight against cybercrime, Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing has successfully dismantled 44 SIM boxes belonging to the international cybercrime network in the last two months. Dismantling these SIM boxes served as a major blow to the international cyber scam syndicate that relied on them to operate fraudulent VoIP call routing hubs. The extensive involvement of these SIM boxes is currently being analysed to identify the interstate and intrastate linkages,” said an official statement from Sandeep Mittal, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Cyber Crime.