Sukna, 11th January: The Sukna Army Intelligence Bureau arrested a Nepalese national, Ashok Pathak, for allegedly selling SIM boxes in India. The team seized several SIM cards, mobile phones, and important documents, including Indian and Nepalese identification papers, from the arrested individual.
Sources revealed that the Army Intelligence Bureau launched an operation and apprehended Pathak at the Indo-Nepal border on Friday. Pathak, a resident of Nepal, was reportedly in India to sell SIM boxes. During the raid, the authorities recovered nine SIM cards from various companies, a mobile phone, an Indian Aadhaar card, and a Nepalese identification card from his vehicle.
It is to be noted that SIM boxes are often used to carry out cybercrimes, criminal activities, and even terrorist operations. These devices allow phone calls to be made without traceable records, making it difficult to track calls or pinpoint locations.
Recently, a joint operation by the Army Intelligence Bureau and the Siliguri Metropolitan Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) uncovered a SIM box racket operating from a mobile shop in Fulbari. Additionally, the STF (Special Task Force) had also uncovered a SIM box scam in the Pradhan Nagar area.
Following his arrest, Ashok Pathak was handed over to the Kharibari police, and he was presented in a Siliguri court on Saturday. The Army Intelligence Bureau continues its investigation, probing further into the network involved in this illegal activity.