Bhubaneswar: A team of Commissionerate Police which reached Ranchi on Tuesday discovered another five SIM boxes from a residential building in Maulana Azad colony of the city.
According to sources, Special Squad of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police carried out searches based on accused Raju Mandal’s tip-off following which five SIM boxes were recovered from third storey of the building.
During questioning, Mandal informed that his Bangladeshi handler and mastermind of the racket, Asadur Jaman had installed SIM boxes in the house during his visit to Ranchi.
The building is located in a densely populated residential colony of Ranchi and cops are ascertaining whether the house owner had any knowledge of the SIM boxes set up in the building.
Odisha police in coordination with their Jharkhand counterparts have intensified probe in Ranchi after recovery of five SIM boxes and several hundred SIM cards from the location.
With the latest seizure in the case, the total number of SIM boxes recovered so far rose to 17 – 7 from Bhubaneswar, 5 from Cuttack, and the remaining 5 from Ranchi.
Meanwhile, cops continued to question Mandal about other locations where he and his Bangladeshi associate Asadur installed SIM boxes.
Sources added that the Commissionerate Police will soon seek National Investigating Agency and Interpol’s assistance to dig deeper into the international racket.
