The Central Crime Branch (CCB) on Wednesday arrested four persons — two directors of a software firm in Chromepet, a distributor and a territory sales manager of a mobile phone service provider — for procuring 1,100 SIM cards and supplying them to the Chinese nationals who ran an online loan apps racket.
Last week, the CCB arrested four persons, including two Chinese nationals, in Bengaluru for operating illegal online instant loan apps. It was alleged that they collected exorbitant rate of interest and threatened, harassed and abused customers after they took loans.
A team conducted a raid at a call centre functioning under the name True Kindle Technology in HSR Layout, in Bengaluru, where 110 telecallers were working. Two directors of the company — Promoda, 28, of Indira Nagar, Bengaluru South, and C.P. Pavan, 27, of Tumkur district — were arrested. Upon being interrogated, they revealed the involvement of three Chinese nationals in the operation. Two of them — Xioa Yamao, 38, and Wu Yuanlun, 28, from Guangdong — were also arrested.
The team analysed call records of a mobile phone used by one of them, and the inquiry revealed that the SIM card was obtained in the name of a Chennai-based firm. The telecallers used the SIM cards for harassing debtors. They sent abusive messages to persons in the contact list of customers who failed to repay the amount. After analysing all electronic records, the police zeroed in on the firm called Azacus Techno Solutions Private Limited in Chromepet, which was dealing with software development and digital marketing.
The police on Wednesday arrested S. Manoj Kumar, 30, and S.K. Muthukumar, 28, directors of the firm. Jagathish and Shihasuddin, a distributor and territory sales manager respectively of a mobile phone service provider, were also arrested.
“They procured 1,100 SIM cards and supplied them on a commission basis. The suspects engaged an Indian woman to approach the directors of the firm over social media and place the orders. The SIMs were sold by the firm and activated without properly verifying records. The Chinese nationals used the cards to operate loan apps and committed criminal acts,” a senior police officer said.
