AP-CID busts international SIM box racket, arrests 14

The Cybercrime police of the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (AP-CID) has busted an international SIM Box racket involved in routing foreign calls as local calls, arresting 14 people and seizing equipment worth crores of rupees.

The case was taken up following inputs received through the CHAKSHU module of the Sanchar Saathi portal regarding suspicious calling activity in the Pedagantyada–Gajuwaka area of Visakhapatnam. Acting in coordination with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), CID officials launched a technical probe that uncovered a sophisticated cross-border cybercrime network.

Investigations showed that foreign operators based in South-East Asian countries like Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia were routing internet-based Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls to India through Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) softphones. These calls were terminated locally using SIM Box devices connected to Fibre to the Home (FTTH) broadband lines installed in rented premises. The devices converted international calls into local Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) calls using multiple Indian SIM cards, effectively masking the origin of the calls and making them appear as local mobile numbers.

The accused allegedly coordinated their operations through Telegram and WhatsApp, procured SIM cards using fake identities and imported SIM Box equipment illegally via courier services.

Based on technical analysis of Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR) and Network Address Translation (NAT) logs, along with inputs from Customs and DoT, coordinated searches were carried out in Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Rourkela (Odisha), Nalanda (Bihar), Arambol (Goa) and Kolkata (West Bengal). Fourteen accused, including foreign nationals and local operators, were arrested.

Police seized 14 SIM Boxes, 1,496 SIM cards, 22 mobile phones, a laptop, eight routers, seven cameras, three UPS units and an inverter with battery. Verification of the SIM cards revealed numerous complaints registered in Andhra Pradesh, with an estimated financial impact of around ₹20 crore.

The operation was conducted under the directions of DGP-CID Dr. A. Ravishankar, and supervised by Adhiraj Singh Rana, SP, Cybercrimes, with teams led by B. Ravikiran, Deputy SP, Cybercrimes. Officials lauded the support of the DoT in dismantling the network and preventing further large-scale financial losses.