Two arrested in illegal telephone exchange case

Two people have been arrested from Hyderabad in connection with Latur illegal telephone exchange case.

Two accused were arrested on June 17 as the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the Latur District Police and officers from the Department of Telecommunications (Prosecution branch) (DOT) conducted raids in the Latur district for illegally running a fake telecommunication exchange and seized property amounting to Rs. 4,60,000.

Total 96 sim cards, one computer, CPU, three machines for call transforming (illegal international gateways) were seized from one accused in this raid, who was running this illegal telephone exchange for more than six months.

According to the DOT officials, the estimated total revenue loss to the national exchequer by this illegal activity is worth Rs. nine crore.

Acting quickly on the inputs from the first accused, one shop was raided in the village Valandi and two illegal international gateways, 14 sim cards and other miscellaneous electronic material were seized.

A case was registered at the Indian Telegraph Act, Section 3, 6 Indian Wireless and Telegraph Act and Section 420 under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

A rented room of another accused was also raided. It was found that he is also engaged in illegal business of running a fake telecommunication exchange. Total 64 sim cards, one laptop, two unauthorized international gateway machines and other material were recovered from him. It was also found that he was running this illegal centre from last 5 months.

As per the preliminary verification by the DOT officials, total loss of revenue to the national exchequer is about Rs. 15 crore.

An investigation is currently underway.