Bhubaneswar, Aug 22: In a significant development, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner Sanjeeb Panda revealed on Thursday that SIM boxes found in Bhubaneswar and Ranchi were being directly controlled from Dhaka, Bangladesh. According to Panda, Asadur Zaman, a 30-year-old from Feni, Bangladesh, was behind the SIM box operation, with Raju Mandal from West Bengal providing local assistance.
Asadur remotely managed the SIM boxes in Bhubaneswar and Ranchi using smart switches, while those in Cuttack were operated manually. The police have gathered extensive information on Asadur, including a photograph.
SIM boxes, which conceal the original phone numbers, are often used in cybercrime, hate speech, extortion, and other illicit activities, making it challenging for law enforcement agencies to track down criminals. Panda also mentioned that Asadur previously ran a software company in Dhaka and had studied at a fashion and technology institute. The investigation revealed that the racket was rerouting international calls from Pakistan, China, and West Asia to India.
A special police team from Odisha recently traveled to Ranchi, Jharkhand, where they discovered another SIM box center operated by Mandal, who was arrested in Bhubaneswar on August 16. The police have so far seized 17 SIM boxes from Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Ranchi, along with 678 operational SIM cards, three internet connections, and additional SIM cards.
The police have obtained details of some SIM cards from telecom operators and are currently analyzing the information. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Department of Telecom have also questioned Raju Mandal.
