Back-to-back complaints expose illegal SIM box operations in Whitefield
Telecom giants Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have filed complaints regarding illegal SIM box operations in Whitefield, Bengaluru. These setups are allegedly being used to bypass legal call routing, causing financial losses and raising national security concerns.
Why it matters
Illegal SIM boxes facilitate cyber fraud and bypass lawful interception mechanisms, posing a significant threat to national security and telecom revenue.
Two telecom companies have lodged separate complaints with the Whitefield CEN Crime Police alleging the operation of illegal SIM Box/GSM Gateway telephone exchanges in the Whitefield area, raising concerns over unlawful call routing, cyber fraud and misuse of telecom resources.
In the first case, Chief Circle Nodal Officer of Bharti Airtel Limited, approached the police, following information received from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on August 15 and the Police Department on August 25.
The case was registered on August 26 under Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, 2000; Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023; and Section 42(3)(d) of the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
According to the complaint, Airtel SIM cards, including mobile number and several associated numbers, were allegedly being used in an illegal SIM Box setup operating in Whitefield and Kadugodi.
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