In Hyderabad, a collaboration between the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau, the Department of Telecommunications, and the Ramagundam Police led to the discovery of an illegal SIM box operation in Jannaram Mandal, Mancherial district. They arrested four people involved in this activity.
The arrested individuals are Yandrapu Kamesh (24), Bavu Bapaiah (43), Bavu Madhukar (32), and Gotla Rajeshwer (40). The authorities seized five SIM box devices, over 230 SIM cards, a laptop, internet modem, mobile phones, an inverter, and other hardware. However, Polavalsula Sai Krishna, Bonu Jayavardhan, and Simhadri remain at large.
The operation was triggered by information from the Department of Telecommunications, shared via their Chakshu Portal. This data highlighted cyber fraud involving impersonation calls in the area. Investigations revealed connections between multiple IMEIs and the SIM box device. Using this information, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau analyzed Call Detail Records, conducted field investigations, and used local intelligence to pinpoint the exact location of the illegal setup.
Shikha Goel, Director of TGCSB, explained that SIM boxes can hold numerous SIM cards and route internet calls through local networks, making them seem like regular calls. With these, fraudsters can handle numerous calls at once, often for scams involving impersonation, threats, or financial fraud, while avoiding detection.
