Bhubaneswar: Some call centres here and in other places in the state have come under the scanner of the special task force (STF) of the state Crime Branch for alleged unauthorized use of SIM boxes to avoid international tariff and causing loss of revenue to the department of telecommunications (DoT).Each SIM box, usually manufactured in China, can hold up to 60 fake SIM cards that can route international calls. A person abroad can call a local number from the same country, which will be routed to another number in India and then to the intended call recipient. This illegal practice helps the caller avoid international tariff, causing loss of revenue to the government.“We received information from the DoT in the second week of this month about unauthorised use of SIM boxes at some places. Some call centres and matrimonial portals are suspected to have been using illegal SIM boxes to route international calls and minting money. The STF has kept a close watch on any such unauthorized SIM box use or illegal telephone exchange,” the STF’s SP Rahul P R told TOI. He said the STF would provide necessary assistance to the DoT if inter-district or inter-state coordination was required.The STF said SIM boxes might be be used by anti-socials as well. Though unauthorized use of SIM box is not alarming in the state, Ganjam Police had in July 2017 had arrested four persons for allegedly operating an illegal telephone exchange in Berhampur at the behest of don Chhota Rajan. Using the telephone exchange, which camouflages international and STD as local calls, Rajan’s gang members had demanded Rs 2 crore extortion from a builder in Mumbai.Police sources said tracking calls made through SIM boxes was extremely difficult as the calls were routed through fake SIM cards every time. “Unless internet service providers or DoT extensively track the use of heavy traffic from those unverified SIMs, there is not much that we can do,” a police officer said. Police said identifying the callers was also a challenge as a large number of unverified SIM cards was available in market.Telecom officials said they had been sensitizing people to submit genuine documents and purchase verified SIMs. “We have the technology to monitor cellular traffic to trace unauthorized use of SIM boxes. Recently, we shared information about illegal activities in some private companies with the STF,” a DoT official said.

Stay updated with all the Latest Bhubaneswar headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.