Karnataka Police’s Cyber Command has uncovered a suspected illegal telecommunications setup operating from two apartments in Bengaluru’s Whitefield division, with investigators examining whether the network was connected to fraudulent communications targeting people across India.The operation resulted in the seizure of 10 SIM-box devices capable of accommodating a combined total of 320 SIM connections. Four people from Tiroda in Maharashtra’s Gondia district have been arrested in connection with the alleged supply of SIM cards and their conversion into electronic SIM profiles.According to information released by the Cyber Command, the two facilities were located in Kadugodi and Pattandur Agrahara. Police suspect the infrastructure was part of an organised network that may have facilitated communications associated with digital-arrest scams, sextortion and other financial cyber frauds.Authorities have not yet established the full extent of the suspected operation, the number of victims or the amount of money lost. The investigation is continuing to determine the role of the equipment and the individuals allegedly involved.How the Network Was DetectedThe investigation began after the Chief Circle Nodal Officer of Bharti Airtel Limited in Bengaluru complained about the suspected unauthorised use of Airtel SIM cards in a SIM-box setup.The Whitefield Cyber Crime Police Station registered a case on August 26, 2026, and began investigating the reported activity. Investigators subsequently identified two facilities in separate apartments within the Whitefield cybercrime police jurisdiction.A joint operation involving Karnataka Police and the Department of Telecommunications led to the recovery of the devices.At the Kadugodi location, authorities seized six SIM-box devices, each designed to accommodate 32 SIM connections. The equipment therefore had a combined capacity of 192 connections. Investigators reported that the slots were configured with e-SIM-provisioned connections from different telecommunications providers.At the second location, in Pattandur Agrahara, four additional devices with 32 slots each were seized, representing another 128 connections.Together, the two sites had a total capacity of 320 SIM connections.Why SIM-Box Devices Matter in Cybercrime InvestigationsA SIM box, also known as a GSM gateway, is a device capable of connecting multiple SIM cards to telecommunications networks. Such equipment can have legitimate technical uses, but unauthorised configurations may also be exploited to facilitate fraudulent communications or conceal aspects of how calls and messages are routed.In this case, investigators suspect the recovered equipment formed part of an organised telecommunications setup used to facilitate fraudulent communications. Its exact operational role is still being examined.The presence of numerous SIM slots does not, by itself, prove that every connection was used for a crime. Investigators must establish how the equipment was configured, which communications passed through it and whether those communications can be linked to specific offences.The distinction is important because the devices have been seized as evidence and the suspected links remain part of an ongoing investigation.Four Arrests and the Maharashtra ConnectionInvestigators followed leads concerning the alleged supply of SIM cards and their conversion into e-SIM profiles to Tiroda in Maharashtra’s Gondia district.Police have arrested four people from the area in connection with the suspected e-SIM supply chain. Their alleged roles, including how the SIM resources were procured and provisioned, are being investigated.The arrests may help investigators trace the supply chain behind the telecommunications equipment and identify other people who may have supported the suspected operation. However, authorities have not publicly established the individual role of each arrested person in any specific cyber fraud.The investigation is also examining whether the SIM and e-SIM resources can be connected to suspected digital-arrest scams, sextortion cases or other financial offences reported across India.Potential Financial Exposure Remains UnverifiedPreliminary leads cited by the Cyber Command indicate that the wider network’s financial exposure could run into hundreds of crores of rupees. This is an investigative estimate, not a confirmed calculation of losses.The available information does not establish how many people may have been affected, how much money was actually transferred by victims or whether all suspected fraud activity can be linked to the seized devices.Those questions will require further evidence, including examination of the equipment, telecommunications records and any financial or digital trails investigators can lawfully obtain.The police have said the seized articles are being examined to establish their precise operational roles and possible links to suspected offenders. Further investigation is under way.
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