Bhubaneswar: Police have revealed that Asadur Zaman, a 30-year-old from Feni, Bangladesh, is the mastermind behind the recently unearthed sophisticated SIM box racket which was operating in Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, and Cuttack.
Addressing a presser here today, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack Twin City Police Commissioner Sanjeeb Panda confirmed that Zaman orchestrated the operation remotely from Dhaka, with local support provided by Raju Mandal from West Bengal.
Zaman controlled the SIM boxes in Bhubaneswar and Ranchi using smart switch technology, while the SIM boxes in Cuttack were operated manually. The police have obtained detailed information about Zaman, including his photograph.
SIM boxes, which mask original phone numbers, are often utilized in cybercrime, hate speech, extortion, and other illegal activities, making them a significant challenge for law enforcement agencies. Commissioner Panda noted that Zaman, who runs a software company in Dhaka and is a former student of a fashion and technology institute, had rerouted international calls from Pakistan, China, and West Asia to India.
A special police team from Odisha recently discovered another SIM box center in Ranchi, operated by Raju Mandal, who was arrested in Bhubaneswar on August 16.
To date, the police have seized 17 SIM boxes across Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Ranchi. They also confiscated 678 operational SIM cards, three internet connections, and spare SIM cards.
Commissioner Panda reported that the police have received some SIM card details from telecom operators and are currently analyzing the data. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Department of Telecom have already interrogated Mandal.
As Mandal’s police remand was set to conclude on Thursday, Commissioner Panda announced plans to request an additional seven-day extension to gather further information. He also stated that the police would seek Interpol’s assistance through the CBI to gather more details about Zaman.
Zaman’s Indian visa is reportedly valid until October 24, 2024. He entered India through the integrated check post (ICP) at Agartala on October 21, 2023, and returned to Bangladesh via the ICP at Haridaspur, West Bengal, on December 24, 2023.
Mandal, who often traveled to Bangladesh by bus via the Basirhat border and occasionally visited Bangaon for business, met with Zaman to plan and set up the SIM box operation in India. Mandal regularly traveled from North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, to Cuttack to manage the SIM boxes and oversee the necessary internet and electricity services.
