Baku, Finance Time. Bakcell, the First Mobile Operator and The Leading Mobile Internet Provider of Azerbaijan, was pleased to collaborate with the Ministry of National Security of the Republic of Azerbaijan to detain Pulat Iskanderovich, a citizen of Uzbekistan, who had organized illegal international call traffic via Bakcell network using “SIM Box” fraud.

Bakcell Fraud Team performed an investigation into the use of International Gateway bypass devices (SIMBOX’s) using trial service from KeyNote SIGOS and Austria Telekom. With assistance of the special software Bakcell detected additional devices using Bakcell SIM Cards to terminate the traffic. In its turn this identified a number of devices operating on the network carrying voice traffic over internet connections and terminating on the Bakcell network. Bakcell provided the MNS with necessary information and actively cooperated with the Ministry who detected and apprehended the perpetrators involved in this illegal business activity.

“SIM Box fraud is a global threat to revenues of mobile operators worldwide. Because of these fraud activities governments and operators in the world are losing huge amounts of revenue. We are using SIM Box Detection system which aims to prevent fraud calls. Bakcell is aware that criminal gangs use these techniques to perform their activities and will actively detect, investigate and provide support to the Ministry to ensure they are detained and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We own all necessary modern technologies to prevent such fraud cases in future”, said Mr. Richard Shearer, Bakcell CEO.

Different people or groups use various devices and the SIM cards to make fraudulent long-distance calls away from network of any mobile operators. However, these calls are registered as local calls on mobile operator’s networks and cause significant international interconnect call revenue loss.