The telecoms regulator seized nearly 11,000 SIM cards from illegal VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) call centres across the country last month.
VoIP equipment worth Tk 3.7 million were also seized and eight people arrested during drives in six places in September.
Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) revealed this at a press conference on the ongoing drive against illegal VoIP gateway business.
The telecoms regulator also said over 25 million minutes of overseas (incoming) calls are made through illegal VoIP exchanges every day, causing loss of revenue worth millions of taka to the state exchequer.
BTRC said it is now using latest technology to track illegal VoIP exchanges. Such steps could help the country save Tk 500 million a year.
During the drives conducted jointly by the BTRC and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), 5,075 SIM cards of Teletalk, 3,897 of Robi, 1,414 of Grameenphone, 426 of Banglalink, 120 of PSTN operator Rankstel and 15 SIM cards of WIMAX operator Banglalion were seized.
BTRC also seized 72 GSM gateways (SIM box) and many other VoIP equipment.
The telecoms regulator raided six places in Mohammadpur, Adabor and Badda areas in the city between September 09 and 20.
BTRC chairman Md Jahurul Haque said that many traders are still operating VoIP exchanges illegally.
"We are using most advanced technology to track individuals engaged in such illegal trades," he said.
The latest technology has helped the commission to pinpoint the VoIP gateway (specific place of a SIM box used in illegal VoIP), he said.
Replying to a question, he said that as per the law, the mobile phone operators must keep a watchful eye over SIM trading.
BTRC director general (engineering & operation division) Brig Gen Md Mustafa Kamal said more than 25 million minutes of overseas (incoming) calls are made through illegal VoIP call centres.
The commission has blocked Internet service from 8:00am to 8:00pm on a specific day to figure out the number of such calls, he said.
He said over 40 million minutes of incoming calls are usually made through legal channels every day.
In its earlier drives from June 29, 2016 to August 27, 2017, the BTRC seized more than 18,000 SIM cards, of which 10,735 were Teletalk SIMs, 2,316 Grameenphone SIMs, 1,922 Banglalink SIMs, 1,590 Robi SIMs and 1,500 Airtel SIMs, the BTRC said.
BTRC director general (spectrum division) Brig Gen Md Nasim Parvez, BTRC commissioners Md Aminul Hassan and Md Rezaul Quader, RAB-2 commanding officer Lt Col Md Anwar Uzzaman, among others, also spoke.
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