Pune: Naushad Ahmed Siddiqui, a 32-year-old resident of Kondhwa, the suspect identified by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in the fake telephone exchange case of Kondhwa, allegedly operated with the intent of facilitating disruptive activities during the upcoming Ganeshotsav celebrations.

The accused is currently in the custody of Thane police and is set to be presented in court on September 2.

The discovery of the fake exchange was part of a larger crackdown by the police and investigation agencies, who were on high alert for potential subversive activities linked to the festival.

During the raid on Thursday (August 29), the ATS seized 3,788 SIM cards and 9 routers from the fake exchange. The setup allegedly rerouted international calls from countries like China, Pakistan, and Gulf nations to local Indian numbers, causing significant revenue losses to the Indian government.

Naushad Siddiqui, who had been operating the fake exchange, was arrested by Thane police from Rajasthan. Though ATS has not yet formally arrested him, he will be taken into custody following a court order and is expected to appear in court on September 2.

According to ATS officials, further investigation could reveal crucial information about the operations and potential connections to larger networks.

During the raid, ATS officials seized 7 SIM boxes belonging to various telecom companies, 3,788 SIM cards, 9 WiFi routers, antennas, inverters to maintain the continuous operation of the SIM boxes, laptops, and other equipment. The total value of the seized items is estimated to be in lakhs.

ATS officials have appealed to the public to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity or unauthorized exchanges in their vicinity to the local police or ATS authorities.