Belarusian authorities have shut down the operations of several technical communications nodes that foreign fraudulent call centers may have used to make mass calls and send SMS messages.
According to the Interior Ministry, since 2024, three men aged between 19 and 30 in the Minsk, Mahiliou and Homiel regions have equipped technical centers in their apartments to remotely control thousands of SIM cards. Fraudulent call centers could use them to make mass calls to citizens in order to steal money.
The Investigative Committee said that the men received SIM banks, GSM gateways, radio modules, antennas and processors from their handlers via a delivery service. After connecting the equipment, they ensured it operated continuously.
“In addition, this criminal infrastructure was used for activities that posed a direct threat to national security and stability in our country and the Union State,” the press release said.
According to the Interior Ministry, more than 30 pieces of equipment and over 20,000 SIM cards were seized during searches. The Investigative Committee reported about 40 GSM devices and more than 17,000 SIM cards, as well as mobile phones containing correspondence with the handlers.
The suspects said they had accepted offers to earn money from unknown individuals who contacted them via Telegram. None of the three had previously been prosecuted, and none was officially employed; one was a student.
Investigators intend to assess their actions from a legal standpoint, including whether they assisted fraudulent call centers. Law enforcement agencies continue to identify other people involved in similar activities in Belarus.
