The\nUganda Police together with the Uganda Communications Commission and telecom\noperators conducted an operation in Kampala over the weekend in which eight\nsuspects engaged in SIM boxing, a form of electronic fraud, were apprehended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At\na press conference held at Police Headquarters Naguru on Monday, UCC\u2019s Head of\nPublic and International Relations Mr Ibrahim Bbossa told journalists that the\nsuspects in custody are part of a wider racket. He added that a hunt is on to\napprehend others as investigations continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In\ntelecommunications, SIM boxing refers to the act of a person or group of people\nsetting up a device that can take in several SIM cards (a SIM box) and using\nthe same to complete international calls received from the Internet as voice\nover IP (VoIP). The calls are in turn diverted to the in-country mobile network\nsubscribers as local traffic. As such, the SIM boxer bypasses international\ncall rates and most likely undercuts the tariffs charged by domestic mobile\noperators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At\nMasanafu in Rubaga Division, Kampala, the enforcement team recovered one (1)\nSIM box with 545 SIM cards. Three (3) suspects are in Police custody. At\nClement Hill Road, Central Division, one (1) SIM box was recovered and two (2)\nsuspects are in Police custody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At\nKasubi, Rubaga Division, one (1) SIM box was recovered and the suspects are\nstill at large; their premises were found closed but the SIM boxing apparatus\nwas up and running. At Nakawa market, two (2) SIM boxes were recovered; one\nwith 32 SIM cards and another with 1,024 SIM cards. One suspect is in Police\ncustody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two\nother suspects were arrested for supplying stolen SIM cards to these illegal\noperators. The suspects are to be charged in court this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nComputer Misuse Act 2011 provides for offences relating to the misuse of\ncomputers. It also provides for electronic fraud as an offence which arises\nwhenever one uses a computer to commit fraud. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n