UP ATS Busts Illegal Telephone Exchange in Jaunpur: Key Operator Arrested, Uncovers International Call Bypass Network

For several days, ATS Uttar Pradesh had been receiving information about international calls being converted into local calls via an illegal telephone exchange in the Jaunpur area. These calls, primarily originating from Gulf countries, bypassed the international gateway, making it difficult to identify the caller. This method posed significant risks related to radicalization, hawala (illegal money transfer), terror funding, and also resulted in revenue loss.

By utilizing technical surveillance and electronic evidence, ATS’s field unit in Varanasi identified an illegal telephone exchange operating in the Baksha police station area of Jaunpur and took appropriate action.

In collaboration with the local police, ATS Uttar Pradesh arrested the operator of the illegal telephone exchange, Ashraf Ali, son of the late Nisar Ali, from Jaunpur, along with illegal SIM boxes and associated equipment, on July 23, 2024 (in the presence of DoT officials).

Notably, the accused had been operating the illegal telephone exchange from his residence in the village of Dullipur, under the Baksha police station area.

During initial interrogation, the accused revealed that he lived in Mumbai from 1997 to 2012, working as a street vendor selling clothes. There, he met Jehangir, a resident of Mumbai’s Dongri area, who introduced him to Mohammad Ali in Saudi Arabia. Mohammad Ali informed Ashraf about the sim box business, suggesting it as an easy way to make money from home, requiring only an internet connection, a laptop, and a dedicated room.

Mohammad Ali sent the necessary equipment for the sim box via courier and configured it remotely using Anydesk software. Ashraf also stated that Mohammad Ali transferred the earnings from this business to his bank accounts and sometimes sent cash through local contacts. This setup generated approximately one lakh rupees per month.

Ashraf Ali used the sim box to convert international calls into local calls through the internet, bypassing the international gateway. This resulted in VoIP (internet) calls being displayed as normal calls, with the sim box number appearing instead of the caller’s actual number, making it impossible to identify the caller.

Regarding this action, a case has been registered under sections 231/2024, 219(2)/318(4)/319(2)/61(2) of the BNS, sections 4/20/21/25 of the Indian Telegraph Act 1885, and sections 3/6 of the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act at Baksha police station in Jaunpur. Several pre-activated sims and other gang members involved in this operation are under ATS radar, and appropriate legal action will be taken against them.

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Details of the arrested accused:

• Name: Ashraf Ali
• Father’s Name: Late Nisar Ali
• Residence: Village Dullipur, Baksha police station area, Jaunpur district.

Seized Items:

• Sim box: 1
• Adapter: 1
• 4G Router: 1
• Pre-activated sims: 64
• Mobile phones: 5
• Laptop: 1

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