Australian citizen with banned satellite phone arrested

The Q Branch CID on Tuesday arrested an Australian citizen on the city’s outskirts on the charge of possessing a ‘Thuraya’ satellite phone which is banned in India.

S. Ramachandran (39), whose forefathers are said to have lived in Rameswaram and who had migrated to Australia from Sri Lanka, was produced before the Judicial Magistrate court – VI here on Wednesday and remanded in judicial custody up to February 6.

An Australian passport, a satellite phone, Overseas Citizen of India document and accessories related to the satellite phone were seized from him, the police said. A case has been registered under Section 6 (1) (A) of Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933 and the accused lodged in Tiruchi Central Prison.