Bhubaneswar: Tough Cop Sanjeeb Panda led Twin City Commissionerate of Police have busted a major international SIM box racket, which has link to Bangladesh, Pakistan, China and some other foreign countries.
Team Twin City Cops led by Shri Panda has so far unearthed two active SIM Box operation centres in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack cities while the accused has another such facility in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
A special team of the CP has busted the racket on August 16 and arrested the prime accused Raju Mandal from Bhubaneswar.
Special squad along with Laxmisagar Police, Madhupatna Police, cyber experts conducted a raid in one house in Brundaban Bhawan, Kalyani Nagar Madhupatna, Cuttack on August 18 and found another SIM Box, said Police Commissioner Sanjeeb Panda .
Bhubaneswar Police took accused Raju Mandal on five days remand on yesterday and interrogated him.
Shri Panda said Raju had taken the house in Bhubaneswar on rent from December 2023 after signing a plain paper agreement for Rs 8000 per month for the purpose of cloth business. He paid the rent through phone pay.
Asadur Zaman of Bangladesh, aged 30, resident of Feni, Bangladesh had come to Cuttack in December to establish the SIM box operation and Mandal was looking after the maintenance, he said.
Asadur had been granted Indian Visa valid till 24.10.2024. He visited India on 21.10.2023 via ICP Agartala and left for Bangladesh on 24.12.2023 via ICP Haridaspur (WB), the Commissioner informed.
Mandal used to come from North 24 Praganas once a week to maintain the SIM boxes including internet, electricity etc.
So far, three bank accounts—SBI, Bandhan, PNB: Kathikata Branch, in the name of Raju Mandal and one bank account in the name of his wife in SBI Kathikata has been traced and accounts details awaited.
The accused has two Phone Pay accounts and we are analysing the financial transactions.
The Police team has checked the details of Lingaraj hotel, near Railways station. Both Raju Mandal and Asadur Zaman had stayed there.
Raju Mandal used to go to Bangladesh through bus from Bashirhaat border and visit Banagaonfor small time business. There he met Asadur and developed friendship. They planned to set up a SIM box business in India.
“As per investigation, there is one more SIM Box in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Our police team will proceed to Ranchi to search and seizure SIM boxes with the help of local police,” CP Shri Panda said.