CHANDIGARH: The Cyber Cell of Chandigarh Police has exposed an elaborate inter-state cyber fraud operation, arresting 10 individuals from cities including Meerut, Ludhiana, and Amritsar for allegedly defrauding a senior citizen of ₹1.01 crore. The accused reportedly used advanced SIM box technology to manipulate internet calls into local ones, making the operation harder to detect.
According to police officials, the SIM boxes were imported from China and operated remotely from foreign locations such as Taiwan, Malaysia, China, and Cambodia. This sophisticated method allowed fraudsters to impersonate domestic authorities while avoiding traditional call-tracking methods.
The case came to light after Manjit Kaur, a resident of Sector-33, filed a complaint with the Cyber Cell on July 11. She stated that she received a WhatsApp call from an individual identifying himself as “CBI Officer Sunil”. Under the pretext of a money laundering investigation, the caller threatened her and convinced her to transfer funds across multiple accounts.
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SIM Box Network Traced to Foreign Controllers
The investigation led police teams to conduct raids across multiple states, where they recovered 480 SIM cards, 6 SIM box machines, 14 mobile phones, and several laptops. The fraudulent calls were being routed using VoIP technology through these SIM boxes, all of which were linked to operators in Southeast Asia and China.
Authorities have managed to freeze ₹36 lakh of the stolen amount. After completing legal procedures, the recovered funds will be returned to the victim’s bank account.
Police sources believe the arrested individuals were part of a wider international network and that further arrests may follow. The role of foreign handlers is currently under scrutiny, and digital evidence from the seized devices is being analysed.