Lok Sabha Question No. 2292 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-15
Subject: Sim Box Fraud
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: GOPALAKRISHNAN CHINNARAJ, RAKESH SINGH, NAGARAJAN P.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2292

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 15 TH  MARCH, 2017

## SIM BOX FRAUD

†2292. DR. C. GOPALAKRISHNAN: SHRI RAKESH SINGH: SHRI P. NAGARAJAN:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the reported incidents of the use of smuggled  Sim  Box  being  used  by  terrorist  organizations  aiding  espionage  and  facilitating hawala transactions in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether over sixty parallel illegal phone exchanges were allegedly being operated across the country facilitating the aforementioned illegal activities as per recent investigations;
- (d) if so, the details thereof including the location-wise details of the said exchanges; and
- (e) the preventive and punitive action taken/being taken by the Government in this regard including ban/closure of such equipments?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a) & (b) Madam, no incident regarding use of smuggled Sim Box being used by terrorist organizations  aiding  espionage  and  facilitating  hawala  transactions  in  the  country  has  been reported to Department of Telecom (DoT) during last year 2016 and current year 2017 (upto 28.02.2017).
- (c) to (e) Telecom Enforcement Resource and Monitoring (TERM) Cells, the field units of DoT  constantly  endeavor  to  curb  illegal  telephone  exchange  set  ups  with  the  help  of  law enforcement  agencies.  A  total  of  22  number  of  illegal  phone  exchanges  allegedly  operating across the country have been unearthed by TERM Cells during last year 2016 and current year 2017 (upto 28.02.2017). The location-wise details of these illegal phone exchanges and action taken thereon is attached as Annexure-I. Equipments used in these illegal set ups are seized by  law  enforcement  agencies  and  cases  are  registered  against  offenders.  Further  action  is taken by the concerned law enforcement agencies.

The  modus  operandi  in  most  of  these  unearthed  cases  is  the  setting  up  of  an  illegal telephone system using high-tech equipments having Leased Line connectivity on one side and Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)/Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) connectivity on the other side. This illegal telephone setup operates in a way that incoming voice calls meant for PSTN/PLMN network are received via the leased link as data traffic (illegal route) thereby by passing the legal International Long Distance Operators (ILDOs) and National Long Distance Operators  (NLDOs)  route.  The  PLMN  connectivity  in  these  set-ups  is  mainly  provided  using mobile SIM Boxes.

Government has issued instructions and guidelines to all licensed service providers for effective monitoring, detection and prevention of such illegal set-ups. Further, in order to curb such illegal activities,  all  TERM Cells have been regularly sensitized and instructed to create awareness among customers by making them aware of the telecom calls through unauthorized route  and  bring  such  calls  to  the  notice  of  telecom  authorities  by  informing  on  the  Toll  Free number 1800110420.

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2292 FOR ANSWER ON 15.03.2017

## SIM BOX FRAUD

|   SN | Location of illegal phone exchange                                                                            | Action Taken                                                                                          |
|------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|    1 | Aatos Infotech, Attayikulath Apartments, Cheruparambath Rd, Kadavanthra, Ernakulam, Kerala                    | FIR No. 0121/16 dated 29.01.2016 at South P.S., Ernakulam. One staff employed was taken into custody. |
|    2 | Shinestar Marketing, North Plaza Bldg, Near North Railway Station Ernakulam, Kerala                           | FIR No. 530/16 dated 29.01.2016 at North P.S., Ernakulam. One person was taken into custody.          |
|    3 | Near Main Gate, Priyadarshini Colony, Purania, Aliganj Lucknow-226001, Uttar Pradesh                          | FIR No- 01/17 dated 23.01.2017, P.S.- A.T.S, Sadar, Lucknow                                           |
|    4 | 1st Floor, J.M Enterprises, Mohalla- Shankarpur, Thana- Madiyaon, Sitapur Road, Lucknow-226021, Uttar Pradesh | FIR no- 01/17 dated 23.01.2017, P.S.- A.T.S, Sadar, Lucknow                                           |
|    5 | House no- E-III 903, Aliganj, Sector-I, Lucknow-226001, Uttar Pradesh                                         | FIR no- 01/17 dated 23.01.2017, P.S.- A.T.S, Sadar, Lucknow                                           |
|    6 | Shop no- 57, Agarwal Plaza, Near Lekhraj Nageena, Indira Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh                        | FIR no- 0908 dated 08.10.2016, P.S.- Ghazipur, Lucknow                                                |
|    7 | S/o Kamlesh Dixit, Sarai Thok Paschimi, near Bilgram Chungi, Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh                            | FIR no. 01/2017 lodged by UP-ATS                                                                      |
|    8 | Krishna Medical Store, Opp. Union Bank, Greek ganj, Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh                                    | FIR no. 01/2017 lodged by UP-ATS                                                                      |
|    9 | Cyber Jaguar, House- 464, Vijay Lashmi Nagar, Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh                                          | FIR no. 141/17 lodged on 25.01.2017                                                                   |
|   10 | M/s Balaji Enterprises ,5/A Paras Singh Road, Rishra, Hoogly, Pin-712248, West Bengal                         | FIR No. 133/16 dated 16.09.2016 lodged at P.S. Rishra                                                 |
|   11 | M/s Balaji Enterprises ,5/A Paras Singh Road, Rishra, Hoogly, Pin-712248, West Bengal                         | FIR No. 133/16 dated 16.09.2016 lodged at P.S. Rishra                                                 |

|   12 | M/s Balaji Enterprises ,13 R N Shah Road, Rishra, Hoogly, Pin-712248, West Bengal                              | FIR No. 133/16 Dated 16.09.2016 lodged at P.S. Rishra                                     |
|------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   13 | Plot.No.146, RK Cottage,Sun city,P&T Colony, Hyderguda, Hyderabad                                              | FIR No.40/2016 Dated 25-01-2016 at Central Crime Station, Hyderabad, 2 persons arrested   |
|   14 | H.No.2-5-29/17 Mifaas Manzil,Upperpally, Hyderabad                                                             | FIR No.40/2016 Dated 25-01-2016 at Central Crime Station, Hyderabad, 2 persons arrested   |
|   15 | H.No 4-25/3/2/A/3, Diamond City,Suleman Nagar,Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad                                        | FIR No.40/2016 Dated 25-01-2016 at Central Crime Station, Hyderabad, 2 persons arrested   |
|   16 | H.No.19-1-376/68/2,2nd Floor,Beside Suhana Function Hall, Gazimillath Colony, Chandrayanagutta, Hyderabad      | FIR No.40/2016 Dated 25-01-2016 at Central Crime Station, Hyderabad, 2 persons arrested   |
|   17 | Flat No.6608, Blockno.6, Panchavathi Apartment Pent house, Pragathi Nagar, Kukatpally, Hyderabad               | FIR No. 114/2016 Dated 05-09-2016 at Central Crime Station, Hyderabad, 4 persons arrested |
|   18 | Plot No. E117,Flat No.101, Madhura nagar, Hyderabad                                                            | FIR No. 114/2016 Dated 05-09-2016 at Central Crime Station, Hyderabad, 4 persons arrested |
|   19 | GPRS Communications, #195, PRR Complex,Madhura nagar colony (opp) Sai ranga Theatre, Miyapur, Hyderabad-500049 | FIR No. 114/2016 Dated 05-09-2016 at Central Crime Station, Hyderabad, 4 persons arrested |
|   20 | Plot no.138,Flat No.204, Satyam Apartments, Siddhartha Nagar, S R Nagar, Hyderabad                             | FIR No. 114/2016 Dated 05-09-2016 at Central Crime Station, Hyderabad, 4 persons arrested |
|   21 | H.No.20-7-74 Himmathpura, Hussainialam Hyderabad, Telangana                                                    | FIR No. 10 /2017 Dated 26-01-2017 at Central Crime Station, Hyderabad, 1 persons arrested |
|   22 | FIITJEE Classroom, Punjabi Bagh Center, Delhi                                                                  | FIR no- 01/17 dated 23.01.2017                                                            |

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