Odisha SIM Box Racket: Mastermind Asadur Zaman Operated SIM Boxes From Dhaka Using Smart Switch

Bhubaneswar, Aug 22: In a major revelation, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Police Commissioner Sanjeeb Panda on Thursday said the SIM boxes set up here and in Ranchi were directly controlled by mastermind National Asadur Zaman from Dhaka in Bangladesh.

Breifing the media, Panda said that Asadur, a 30-year-old from Feni in Bangladesh, set up the SIM box operation, with West Bengal's Raju Mandal serving as the local help.

Asadur controlled the SIM boxes in Bhubaneswar and Ranchi remotely using smart switches, while the SIM boxes in Cuttack were operated manually, Panda said.

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

"Asadur ran a software company in Dhaka and had previously studied at a fashion and technology institute. Investigation revealed that the racket rerouted international calls from Pakistan, China, and West Asia to India," Panda added.

Recently, a special police team from Odisha visited Ranchi in Jharkhand and found another SIM box centre operated by Mandal, who was arrested from Bhubaneswar on August 16. So far, police have seized 17 SIM boxes from Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Ranchi.

Police have also confiscated 678 operational SIM cards, three internet connections, and spare SIM cards.

Panda added that the Commissionerate Police will seek Interpol's assistance through the CBI to acquire more details about Asadur.

According to police, Asadur's Indian visa is valid until October 24, 2024.

Asdur entered India through the integrated check post (ICP) Agartala on October 21, 2023, and left for Bangladesh on December 24, 2023, via ICP Haridaspur in West Bengal, police said.

On August 19, Odisha Police unearthed a SIM box racket in Cuttack.

"During the investigation, our police team located the second SIM box in Cuttack, where we found five operational SIM boxes and a total of 236 SIMs in use. Raju Mandal had rented that house from December onwards and was paying Rs 8,000 in rent. Ashdur Jamman had also visited the location to set up the SIM boxes," Panda said.