Siliguri, 28th June: The Detective Department (DD) of Siliguri Metropolitan Police has made a fourth arrest in the ongoing SIM box case, detaining Abdul Qadir (39), a resident of Jalpaiguri. The recent development has further unveiled the cross-border links of the case, pointing to connections with Bangladesh.
The case first came to light on May 16 when the Special Operation Group (SOG) uncovered a SIM box operation disguised as a mobile shop in Siliguri. Acting on intelligence regarding criminal activities involving SIM boxes at a mobile shop in Jotiakali, police conducted a raid. They recovered three SIM boxes along with various illegal materials and apprehended the shop owner, Shabbir Ali, who was subsequently taken into custody.
Due to the gravity of the case, the investigation was transferred to the DD. Within a week, DD apprehended two SIM card suppliers, Dayal Barman and Raju Roy, from different locations. Both individuals were produced in Jalpaiguri court and taken on remand, where further inquiries revealed that the SIM box operation was linked to Bangladesh.
Deepening their investigation, the DD discovered that Abdul Qadir had installed the SIM boxes from Bangladesh in Shabbir Ali’s shop. Following this lead, DD initiated a search for Abdul Qadir.
On Thursday, acting on a tip-off, DD conducted an operation in Jalpaiguri and successfully arrested Abdul Qadir. He was brought to Siliguri and presented in Jalpaiguri court on Friday. The DD continues to probe the intricate details of the case.