Russian police dismantle scam call hub near St. Petersburg

ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Russian police have dismantled a telecommunications hub used by scammers operating from Ukraine in West Russia's Leningrad region and detained two suspected accomplices.

The suspects were arrested near St. Petersburg, according to Russia's Interior Ministry in a statement Monday posted on Telegram.

Investigators believe the pair had been cooperating with fraudulent call centers based in Ukraine since August 2025, maintaining so-called SIM boxes that route international calls while concealing callers' true locations.

Law enforcement officials said the hub handled at least 5,000 scam calls a day. Authorities have linked the suspects to 50 criminal cases opened in St. Petersburg, the Leningrad region and other parts of Russia.

During searches, police seized 19 mobile phones containing correspondence and instructions from coordinators, more than 3,500 SIM cards, and equipment used to operate the hub. ■