The Special Investigation Team probing the parallel telephone exchange case has initiated measures to attach the properties of some of the accused in the case who have been at large for over five months. Details of four persons, including a Malappuram native, have been handed over to the Registration Department for immediate action.
According to Crime Branch sources, the four who went into hiding were P.P. Shabeer, M.G. Krishnaprasad, Abdul Gafoor and K. Niyas. Measures to attach their property were initiated to compensate for the huge financial loss incurred by the government caused by the illegal telephone network, they said.
It was on July 2 that the police with the support of a team of 23 officers exposed theparalleltelephoneexchanges in eight locations in Kozhikode city and arrested P. Jurise, 26, one of the key operators. More than 700 SIM cards and imported call routers had been seized from the rented buildings which functioned as illegaltelephoneexchanges.
Noticing the inter-State network of the accused and their alleged association with gold smugglers and extremist elements, the National Investigation Agency too had started a probe into the incident.
