Cuttack- Bhubaneswar Commissionerate Police recently made some startling revelations in seising seven SIM boxes from a house in Bhubaneswar.
At a press conference, Twin City Police Commissioner Sanjeeb Panda disclosed that the mastermind behind the operation was Asadur Jaman, a Bangladesh national. Jaman was the handler accused of Raju Mandal, who was arrested for the scam.
It may be noted that during a raid on a house in Bhubaneswar, a special team of the Commissionerate Police seized seven SIM boxes from a house at Mahadevnagar under Laxmisagar police limits of Bhubaneswar UPD. Approximately 1000 pre-activated SIM cards from West Bengal, old SIM cards, routers, and other equipment were seized during the raid.
“The investigation has exposed a complex network of illegal SIM card trade, with international links. The police are likely to probe further into the involvement of other individuals and organisations in the scam,” said Panda.
The accused, Raju Mandal, hails from West Bengal, and he operated the SIM box in a rented accommodation in Bhubaneswar. His work was to ensure that the UPS, internet, power and other services function properly.
In case of any SIM issue, Mandal is used to visiting the house and doing necessary repair and maintenance work. Mandal has completed his 12th and informed us that the SIM box was used to bypass international calls to Pakistan, China, and the Middle East.
Accused Raju Mandal’s actual handler is a Bangladeshi national, Asadur Jaman. Jaman visited India in October via Agartala and Bhubaneswar. He returned to Bangladesh in December.
“It is learnt from investigation that the SIM boxes were smuggled into India from Bangladesh through clandestine means. Furthermore, it was discovered that Jaman was responsible for making payments to Mandal, highlighting the extent of their involvement in the scam,” said Panda.
Shri Panda said the SIM box is mainly used for cyber crimes, hate messages, terrorist activities, extortion and other crimes as original numbers get masked. Hence, it creates problems for law enforcement agencies.
Shri Panda also said that the exact nature of crimes committed through this SIM box will be probed. As Bangladeshi nationals are involved, we will seek help from national agencies for further investigation.
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