Lucknow: A day after busting an illegal SIM box operation in the city, Lucknow Police said fresh evidence suggests the setup may be part of a wider telecom fraud network, with investigators looking into a possible Chinese connection.
The foreign angle emerged after the six seized 32-port SIM box devices were found bearing "Made in China" markings. Police suspect the equipment may have entered India through unofficial channels and have begun tracing its supply chain, suspected import route, ownership trail and whether any telecom clearances or approvals were obtained.
Technical examination of the hardware has expanded the scope of the case. Investigators found 192 active e-SIMs functioning across the six devices, indicating a much larger operation than initially believed.
Police suspect the infrastructure may have been used to mask call origins and enable organised cyber frauds, including digital arrest scams, fake investment schemes and impersonation-led cons. The configuration suggested deliberate efforts to route large volumes of communications through internet-based channels, officials said.
The operation was detected during coordinated raids by the Lucknow Commissionerate, which led to seizures of SIM boxes, routers, VPN gateways and other networking equipment from multiple locations. Police also recovered dismantled sound amplifier components from one premises, and suspect telecom hardware may have been transported into the country disguised as audio amplification devices to avoid scrutiny during transit and import checks.
At another location they found a Wi-Fi-enabled video doorbell installed in place of conventional CCTV cameras. Investigators believe it may have been used to monitor activity around the property and alert operators to visitors without drawing attention.
Cybercrime Nodal Officer and Additional DCP Kiran Yadav said technical and legal examinations are under way to identify those behind the network. Police have extracted IMEI numbers and other identifiers and shared them with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre to match against complaints on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
Officials are also examining possible violations of the Telecommunications (Radio Equipment Possession Authorisation) Rules, 2026, citing the 32-SIM capacity of each device.