AP CID arrests 14 in SIM box racket case in Mangalagiri; 1,496 SIM cards, equipment worth crores seized

Amaravati: An international cybercrime network, involved in routing foreign calls as local calls using illegal SIM box operations, has been busted.

Fourteen persons have been arrested, including foreign nationals and local operators.

The Cyber Crime Police Station, CID, Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh, in coordination with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), executed the operation following inputs through the CHAKSHU module of the Sanchar Saathi portal regarding suspicious calling activity in the Pedagantyada–Gajuwaka area of Visakhapatnam.

What is the case about?

Investigation revealed that foreign operators based in Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia, were routing internet-based VoIP calls to India through SIP softphones.

These calls were terminated locally using SIM box devices connected to FTTH broadband lines installed in rented premises.

The devices converted international calls into local GSM calls using multiple Indian SIM cards, masking the origin and making the calls appear as local mobile numbers.

The accused coordinated through Telegram and WhatsApp, used fake identities for SIM procurement, and illegally imported SIM Box equipment via courier services.

1,496 SIM cards seized

Based on technical analysis of IPDR and NAT logs and inputs from Customs and DoT, coordinated searches were conducted at Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Rourkela (Odisha), Nalanda (Bihar), Arambol (Goa) and Kolkata (West Bengal).

During the operation, police seized 14 SIM Boxes, 1,496 SIM cards, 22 mobile phones, one laptop, eight routers, seven cameras, three UPS units, one inverter with a battery and other electronic equipment.

Verification of the seized SIM cards revealed numerous complaints registered in Andhra Pradesh, with an estimated financial impact of approximately Rs 20 crore.