KATHMANDU: An investigation team dispatched from Metropolitan Police Crime Division raided a well-equipped underground call centre in Ravibhawan and arrested a racketeer for his involvement in flouting telecommunication laws recently. The accused Anwar Hussein (24), who hails from Kolkata-24 Porguna, India, and his two accomplices were found to be operating VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) from a rented three-storey building, illegally blocking Nepal Telecom’s gateway, thus inflicting a loss of millions. While, the other accused, Bharat Lal Shrestha (27), hailing from Chaugada-3, Nuwakot, and another named Raju are at large. Raju’s details were still sketchy. SSP Rana Bahadur Chand, in-charge, MPCD, revealed that the threesome had been using the SIM cards bearing numbers — 9807020501, 9803811605 and 9841467386 — registered in the name of Raju, who goes by his single name. The police also recovered an eight-lined CDMA wireless adaptor, a Euro Tech Communication’s 32-lined capacity GSM VoIP, a GSM VoIP Gateway equipment, a UPS, a wireless broadband internet antenna, extension codes, a requester, 300 recharge cards, a laptop, a desktop, mobile phone sets and 209 Mero Mobile SIM cards, among others. The seized properties are said to be worth over Rs 10 million. Anwar has been handed over to Metropolitan Police Range, Hanumandhoka.

What is VOIP Gateway?

Call by-passers make use of VoIP GSM Gateway to divert international rings from the official gateway. The call is then transferred to the telecom subscribers through a GSM SIM card. The ISD then displays a personal caller ID on the receiver’s gadget. VoIP has always been a headache for telecom service providers in the country. As per the Telecommunications Act, 2053, any person convicted of posing threat to telecommunications systems and service can face a fine equal to the principal amount of loss caused or sentence up to five years in prison or both. VoIP uses broadband Internet for routing phone calls, unlike conventional switching and fibre-optic alternatives.