UP ATS busts illegal telephone exchange, nabs 3 from Prayagraj

The Anti-Terror Squad of Uttar Pradesh Police has busted an illegal telephone exchange by arresting three members of a gang from Prayagraj, saying its operation posed a national security threat, apart from causing a loss to the exchequer.

The ATS said it has been getting information about illegal exchanges converting international calls into local ones and bypassing international gateways.

In a statement, the ATS said calls coming from foreign countries, mainly middle-east, were being diverted to this illegal telephone exchange, and converted into local calls.

The statement said Mohd Sarfaraz Ahmed, Wajid Siddiqui and Mohd Aman Siddiqui were arrested in Prayagraj on Sunday night. The ATS recovered a huge quantity of electronics and communication equipment from them, the statement said.

During interrogation, they told the police the mastermind of the gang is a Mumbai-based person named Asif, the ATS said, adding information about other members of the gang is being sought from them.

The ATS on Saturday had said it has arrested two persons after busting an illegal exchange in Kanpur.