On Saturday, a joint team of Maharashtra ATS(Anti Terror Squad) Latur police and telecommunication department busted three illegal telephone exchanges routing telephone calls via a computer network during raids in Latur, Maharashtra. It is suspected to be used by Pakistan intelligence agencies to acquire sensitive military information.
Two persons, Shankar Biradar (33) and Ravi Sabde (27), have been arrested in this connection.
The raid was conducted after receiving a tip-off from a Jammu and Kashmir- based military intelligence agency, a police official said.
These exchanges were being run since last six months from Prakash Nagar, Deoni taluka and Chakur taluka areas in the district, the official informed.
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The accused used to receive an overseas call over the Internet and transfer that voice call to receivers in India through an illegal international gateway.
The system deployed was interconnecting Internet/VoIP and mobile connections which is not permitted as per India's telecom laws.
After the raids, equipment worth Rs 4,60,000 were seized, the official said.
Most of the seizures were made on the premises of the two arrested accused, the police said.
While Shankar ran an illegal telecommunication junction from his house in Prakash Nagar, Ravi operated from a rented room in Chakur taluka.
About 96 sim cards, a computer, a CPU and three call transforming machines were seized from Shankars house after the raid.
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The Deoni taluka exchange was being run from a shop, the police said. As per Telecommunication Department officials, these illegal exchanges have caused a revenue loss of Rs 15 crore to the country.
Cases have been registered at Shivaji Nagar and MIDC police station in the district under relevant sections of the Indian Telegraph Act, Indian Wireless and Telegraph Act and Indian Penal Code.
(With PTI inputs)
