Summary:
KOLKATA: Suspicious signals in coded languages in an around Kolkata for the past few weeks have been intercepted by amateur radio ( Ham radio ) operators, prompting authorities to deploy round-the-clock monitoring of radio signals.The first such incident came into light a few weeks ago just ahead of Diwali, after an amateur Ham radio operator picked up suspicious radio signals and unauthorised radio communication in coded languages from areas in Sodepur in North 24 Parganas district.Since then, such signals were picked up from Chuchura in Hoogly district and Sealdah in Kolkata at a specific time in the night.Areas where these signals were received are within 25-30 km radius of Kolkata.Alarmed over the suspicious signals, the radio operators informed police officials, central agencies and the ministry of communication about this. The Ham or amateur radio operators are licensed to conduct such communications under specific radio frequencies by the Union Ministry of Communications and IT. "Those who were communicating on the radio frequencies alluded to Pashto accent but we couldn't identify the language. We will look into it," said a senior IB official, adding such kind of unverified communication in radio frequencies are often heard along the Indo-Bangla border.In 2016, Ham Radio operators had picked up suspicious signals in coded Bengali and Urdu languages along the India-Bangladesh border in Basirhat and Sunderbans region.Ham radio uses radio frequency spectrum to exchange messages with other radio operators. "It is not unnatural for extremists groups to communicate through these Ham radio frequencies as this mode is quite unconventional, unlike mobile networks or emails, which can come under surveillance..