Five SIM boxes recovered in joint raid by Odisha, J’khand police in Ranchi

Ranchi, Aug 20 (PTI) At least five SIM boxes were recovered from a vacant flat during a joint raid by Odisha and Jharkhand police in Ranchi on Tuesday, police said.

The boxes were part of a major SIM box racket busted by Odisha police recently.

SIM boxes are used to hide original phone numbers and are often employed for cybercrime, hate speech, terrorist acts, extortion, and other illegal activities, posing challenges for law enforcement agencies.

Ranchi senior superintendent of police (SSP) Chandan Kumar Sinha told PTI, “The raid was conducted at a flat in Maulana Azad Colony under Namkum police station area jointly by Odisha and Ranchi police..

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Amar Kumar Pandey said the raid was conducted in a vacant flat in Namukum, and at least five SIM boxes were recovered.

“Other items were also recovered. A seizure list is being prepared,” he said.

The racket was busted on August 16 when Odisha police arrested West Bengal resident Raju Mandal in Bhubaneswar.

During the operation, the authorities seized five active SIM boxes, two reserve SIM boxes, over 750 SIM cards, routers and other equipment from a house in Bhubaneswar.

Police claim that the racket was run by a Bangladesh national who used the setup in Bhubaneswar to reroute international calls from Pakistan, China, and West Asia to India.

During questioning, Mandal said he had been operating SIM boxes from multiple locations, including Cuttack and Ranchi.

Following this information, a special squad, along with police and cyber experts, conducted a raid at a house in the Madhupatna area of Cuttack on Sunday and seized five SIM boxes, 236 active SIMs, 310 spare SIMs, routers, a broadband connection, and other materials. PTI SAN SBN SAN SBN