Illegal VoIP exchange in Hyderabad busted

Based on input from a Military Intelligence Unit of Jammu & Kashmir, Hyderabad cops on Friday unearthed an illegal Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) exchange in Nallakunta.

One person, identified as Dinesh, was arrested and several illegally procured SIMs were seized.

‘Terror link ruled out, suspect in illegal VoIP business for money’

The Task Force police which picked Dinesh from TRT Colony in Nallakunta, however, ruled out the arrested man having any terror links. The cops said that he was in the illegal VoIP business for money. Two SIM-boxes, more than 53 SIM cards procured illegally, laptops, desktop computers and other peripherals were recovered from the possession of the suspect. Sources said the investigation is on and more raids and arrests will follow.

It was earlier this month that an intelligence pertaining to suspicious illegal VoIP exchanges being run in Hyderabad was shared by an MI unit in J&K with Telangana Police, sources said. The facilities were being exploited by intelligence operatives from Pakistan for making calls to security personnel in J&K to acquire sensitive information from them by posing as senior officials.

Illegal VoIP facilities pose a formidable security concern as they provide an illegal and surreptitious alternative to other recognised means of making international calls to India. The illegal exchanges enable callers from other countries to call any Indian number by hiding their identity or by displaying an Indian number to the receivers. These calls made using Vo-IP technology, travel to India over Internet, land in one of such illegal exchanges, get converted into regular telecom calls, using a modem-like device called ‘SIM Box’ and illegally procured SIM cards, then travel on telecom medium and land on a desired Indian number as a legitimate telecom call from another Indian number, an intelligence officer said.