Odisha Police have busted a SIM box racket operated by Bangladeshis.
Raju Mandal, a native of West Bengal, has been apprehended, and over 1,000 SIM cards, routers, and other devices have been confiscated.
Arpit Pattnaik
The Odisha Police have reported the bust of a SIM box racket in Bhubaneswar, involving a Bangladeshi individual rerouting international calls to Pakistan, China, and the Middle East. Raju Mandal, from West Bengal, has been arrested, and over 1,000 SIM cards along with routers and other equipment were seized from a house in Bhubaneswar.
The operation was being run by Mandal on behalf of a Bangladeshi national, Asadur Jaman, from a leased property in Bhubaneswar, overseeing the functionality of UPS, internet, and other services. Preliminary investigations revealed that the SIM boxes were used for illegal activities, such as cybercrime, hate speech, and terrorist acts.
Asadur Jaman entered India in October 2023, made payments to Mandal, and established two more SIM boxes before returning to Bangladesh. The police are considering seeking assistance from national investigating agencies and Interpol due to the involvement of a Bangladeshi national as the prime accused.
