In a major breakthrough, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) has uncovered an extensive international cyber fraud network operated by 21-year-old Harshit Kumar of Gauspur, Supaul. The investigation reveals that Harshit was not working in isolation—his network spans across China, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Thailand, making it one of the most sophisticated cybercrime modules detected in Bihar so far. In light of its cross-border ramifications, the EOU has formally recommended that the SIM box fraud investigation be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In a major breakthrough, the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) has uncovered an extensive international cyber fraud network operated by 21-year-old Harshit Kumar of Gauspur, Supaul. The investigation reveals that Harshit was not working in isolation—his network spans across China, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Thailand, making it one of the most sophisticated cybercrime modules detected in Bihar so far. In light of its cross-border ramifications, the EOU has formally recommended that the SIM box fraud investigation be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Trained in Cyber Fraud Techniques in China; Procured SIM Boxes from Abroad
Preliminary findings indicate that Harshit travelled to China specifically to learn advanced cyber-fraud techniques. During his stay, he established contact with professional Chinese hackers and received hands-on training in bypassing telecom systems and operating SIM box-based parallel exchanges.
He later procured multiple Made-in-China SIM boxes, which were smuggled into India and used to convert international VoIP calls into local calls, masking their origin and enabling large-scale fraud.
During the raids conducted at his Supaul hideouts, the EOU recovered a massive cache of telecom equipment, including:
- 231 active mobile SIM cards
- 294 new Airtel SIM cards
- 800 used SIM cards
- 8 SIM box devices
The seized hardware underscores the scale and sophistication of the operation.
51,000 Calls Made in 48 Hours; Fraudulent Exchanges Operated Through Valid SIMs
According to the EOU, Harshit and his associates generated 51,000 calls in just 48 hours using 149 SIM cards procured fraudulently from Vaishali. Earlier, between June 21 and June 23, 2025, the gang had used another batch of 50 SIM cards to make over 10,000 fraud calls.
These calls originated through international VoIP channels but appeared as local numbers after being routed through SIM boxes—making them nearly impossible to trace and allowing them to impersonate bank officials, customer care representatives or government entities.
Five Fake Telephone Exchanges Busted in Three Months
The Supaul case triggered a statewide investigation. Within three months, authorities uncovered five illegal telephone exchanges linked to Harshit’s network:
- Gauspur, Supaul (first detection)
- Narayanpur, Bhojpur
- Chariya, Baisi
- Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Further investigation revealed that an operator sitting in Rosera, Samastipur, was remotely controlling the SIM boxes in Baisi and Varanasi using a laptop. These parallel exchanges were being exploited to route thousands of calls daily for India-wide and cross-border cyber scams.
Travelled to Five Countries; Invested Money Across 10 Nations Through Crypto Assets
The financial trail has opened yet another dimension to the case. Investigators discovered that Harshit had travelled to five countries—China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Thailand—all for the purpose of building and expanding his cybercrime network.
The EOU also uncovered that Harshit had diverted proceeds of cyber fraud into investments spread across 10 countries. He maintained accounts on two foreign cryptocurrency exchanges, with a current valuation reportedly exceeding ₹3 crore.
These findings support the theory that Harshit was functioning as a key node in a much larger transnational cybercrime syndicate.
Foreign Links Built Through Social Media and Encrypted Platforms
Despite his young age, Harshit managed to set up a multi-layered cyber fraud infrastructure by exploiting social media and encrypted communication channels. He connected with cybercriminals from:
- China
- Vietnam
- Cambodia
- Thailand
- Germany
- Hong Kong
and other locations through Facebook, Instagram, online forums and Telegram groups.
Through these networks, he arranged for four SIM boxes from China and four from Vietnam, which were later used to run illicit parallel call-routing exchanges in India.
CBI to Take Over Investigation; EOU Sends Formal Request
Given the international involvement and the operational complexity, the EOU concluded that the case required a national-level probe. Consequently, a formal request has been sent to the CBI to assume responsibility for the entire investigation.
ADG (Economic Offences Unit), confirmed:
“The SIM box fraud has links extending to China and several other countries. Due to the transnational nature of the crime, we have recommended that the entire investigation be transferred to the CBI. The agency is expected to take charge soon.”
As one of the most expansive cyber fraud networks uncovered in Bihar, the case is expected to widen further once the CBI initiates its independent investigation. Agencies anticipate that several more layers of this international fraud syndicate will surface in the coming weeks.
