Pune: In a significant breakthrough, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Pune has uncovered an illegal telephone exchange operating in the Mithanagar area of Kondhwa.

The operation was carried out based on a tip-off regarding the unauthorized use of SIM boxes to run a fake telephone exchange. The raid was conducted at M.A. Complex in Mithanagar with the involvement of officials from the Department of Telecommunications and local witnesses.

During the raid, ATS officials seized 7 SIM boxes belonging to various telecom companies, 3,788 SIM cards, 9 WiFi routers, antennas, inverters to maintain the continuous operation of the SIM boxes, laptops, and other equipment. The total value of the seized items is estimated to be in lakhs.

The arrested individual, identified as 32-year-old Naushad Ahmed Siddiqui, was reportedly running the unauthorized telephone exchange to generate illicit income.

His activities resulted in financial fraud against the Department of Telecommunications, the Government of India, and several mobile service providers.

Preliminary investigations suggest that this illegal exchange could have been operational for an extended period, and further inquiries are being conducted to ascertain the extent of the operation and its potential links to more extensive networks.

The ATS believes that the dismantled exchange could have been used to facilitate criminal or terrorist activities, posing a serious threat to national security.

ATS officials have appealed to the public to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity or unauthorized exchanges in their vicinity to the local police or ATS authorities.