Fake CBI calls, real SIM boxes: Kolkata cops bust international extortion racket

Kolkata Police busted an international SIM box telecom fraud racket that routed VoIP calls as local numbers to dupe victims of over Rs 3 crore by posing as CBI officers.

Kolkata Police have uncovered a massive international telecom fraud network operating through an illegal “Telecom Gateway” in the city, exposing a sophisticated system that converted international VoIP calls into local calls to dupe victims.

The breakthrough came during the investigation of a fraud case involving over Rs 3 crore. Scammers posed as CBI officers and falsely accused the victim of involvement in illegal parcel trafficking. Using fake documents and threats of arrest, they extorted a large sum of money.

The victim received calls from two specific numbers. Investigators later found that the calls were not standard mobile calls but were routed through a SIM box, a device that holds multiple SIM cards and uses the internet to mask international calls as local ones. The system hides the original source of the call, allowing fraudsters to bypass government regulations and avoid detection.

Following surveillance and inputs from the Department of Telecommunications, the Bidhannagar Commissionerate arrested Abir Sheikh in Baguiati on the morning of February 14. His confession led police teams to conduct raids on February 15 at Patwari Bagan Lane in Amherst Street and another location in Park Street.

During the raid at Patwari Bagan Lane, officers discovered a full-scale rogue telecommunications setup. Seized items included active SIM box machines, one laptop, nine routers, 17 mobile phones, 2,250 SIM cards, CCTV cameras, other electronic equipment, and Malaysian currency.

Police also arrested Mohammad Amjad (38) at the scene.