On Monday, the city crime division uncovered an illegal phone exchange operating from a commercial complex on CG Street in the Navrangpura area, where international calls were converted into local calls, causing a massive economic loss to the country.
Officers from the town crime department received information that Tabrez Kataria, a resident of Sarkhej, has been operating an illegal phone exchange in which he facilitates the service of converting VOIP (voice over internet protocol) calls to GSM (global system for cellular communication) prerequisites nations where web calling is regulated.
Kataria and his business partner, Dwayne Pereira from Pune, have been delivering this illegal service to their masters in Gulf countries via a SIP (session initiating protocol) connection.
Kataria had purchased 100 SIP lines, which he exploited to convert international online calls into local calls. In the preceding 11 days, they had assisted with 12.46 lakh calls, converting VOIP calls to GSM calls.
The perpetrators of this scam used to offer calling slots to inhabitants of the Gulf countries and provide them with low-cost calling services.
Kataria was charged with breach of trust, dishonesty, and jail conspiracy by the crime department. Pereira is still on the run in this case.