August 11, 2009

PTA Busts Network of Illegal International Gateway Exchanges in Islamabad, Two Exchanges Recovered, Three Foreigners Arrested

Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and FIA National Response Center for Cyber Crimes (NR3C), Islamabad has unearthed two illegal international VoIP gateway exchanges in F-6 and F-7 Islamabad. Three foreigners have been arrested during the seizure of these illegal exchanges.

This initiative is a part of the pursuance of PTA efforts against illegal telecom traffic and seventh successful raid in Islamabad. During the raid PTA and FIA team recovered 11x8 GSM tellulars, 4 GSM media gateways and 1x router, 4 switches and more than hundred GSM antennas.

PTA detected illegal setups through the Technical Facility installed to monitor the illegal business of telecom throughout the country. Upon investigation and confirmation, successful raids were conducted by PTA and FIA at Islamabad and operational international exchanges were seized. Mobile connections which are being used in GSM devices employed by terminating international calls brought via Grey routes is a cause of loss of rupees to national exchequer.

Chairman PTA Dr. Mohammed Yaseen said that these illegal operations of grey traffic has caused loss of millions of rupees in the last four month to the national exchequer. Chairman PTA also warned all whether licensee or non licensee those involved in illegal / grey telecom traffic to stop such unlawful activities, otherwise strict action shall be initiated against them as per the law.

 

Khurram A.Mehran

Director (PR)