Gurugram police bust international cyber‑fraud network using illegal SIM boxes

In a major cyber‑fraud crackdown , Gurugram police on Wednesday said they have dismantled an international SIM box racket with operational links to the Philippines and Cambodia , arresting five suspects for deploying and supplying illegal GSM gateways that help mask international calls as domestic ones in elaborate fraud schemes. The gang’s structure, cross‑border supply chain , and the methods used to disguise illicit telecommunications activity indicate a sophisticated organised operation that exploited network vulnerabilities and facilitated various digital scams.

Police launched the investigation following complaints from four homeowners in DLF Phase 3 and Chakkarpur who reported tenants operating unauthorised SIM boxes and related equipment in rented premises. Subsequent raids at these locations uncovered 13 SIM boxes, seven Wi‑Fi TAPO cameras equipped with human detection, seven routers, seven inverters, 30 batteries, 29 TAPO Wi‑Fi switches, 28 ethernet cables, a railway ticket, and other paraphernalia used to power and conceal operations. Officers also seized 504 SIM cards and a cache of 2,258 recharged fake SIM cards allegedly utilised in cyber‑fraud and “digital arrest” scams, a form of deception in which victims are coerced into transferring money under false pretences of legal action.

The accused, identified as Rahul Kumar (a resident of Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh), Yash Amrit Singh Dugar (Ahmedabad, Gujarat), Bhavika Ramesh Bhagchandani (Anjar, Gujarat), and Litesh and Sagar (both from Jalgaon, Maharashtra), were arrested from their home states, with Sagar taken into custody in Gurugram. Two separate FIRs have been registered, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under ACP (Cyber) Priyanshu Dewan is probing the case.

During interrogation, investigators learned that Rahul coordinated with a handler in the Philippines to receive SIM boxes, routers, and equipment , setting up and monitoring devices via video calls for payment. Bhavika liaised with an accomplice in Cambodia, while Yash handled USDT-to-rupee conversions to support the gang’s finances. Sagar provided a rented room and internet for uninterrupted operations. The SIT also uncovered “cyber slavery” , sending individuals to Cambodia to carry out cyber‑fraud under coercion.

Officials said the equipment was smuggled into India via the China‑Nepal‑Bihar route , allowing calls to be routed through Indian numbers to bypass international identifiers and increase scam success. Police seized phones, chats, and transaction records to map the network and track other members. The investigation continues to uncover the gang’s full operations and prevent further telecom‑based cybercrime.