Gangsters' use of VPN apps puts Punjab cops in fix

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, January 8

With criminals, including gangsters and drug traffickers, using virtual private network (VPN) applications for making extortion calls or for drug trafficking, the police are finding it tough to nail them.

The police have sought a ban on VPN applications that help criminals in creating fake foreign mobile numbers. Due to the use of VPN applications, the investigating agencies find it difficult and time-consuming to identify the people using these numbers.

In a report submitted to the senior authorities recently, the local police pointed out that criminal were using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, etc., besides the VPN applications such as 2nd Line, Wickrme, Text Now, One Note, etc. for generating foreign virtual numbers for making calls. These calls do not come in the phone’s call detail records, thereby making investigation a challenge as these are difficult to track. “It is an uphill task to track such calls and procure records of encrypted calls made through WhatsApp or Telegram,” said a top police official.

Officials in a report to higher-ups have sought a ban on VPN applications. They said the servers of these apps should be installed in India also. They also suggested that creation of accounts on these apps should be authenticated with SIM card in mobile phones.

There has been a spurt in extortion calls in the state, while the Amritsar police have received a number of complaints wherein unknown callers demanded ransom from victims, including property dealers, traders and doctors.

Nevertheless, officials believe that many victims hesitate to approach the police fearing “untoward outcomes”. Though senior police authorities, including Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, had recently claimed that petty criminals were using names of gangsters for making easy money, the majority of people fear to lodge complaints in this regard.

Recently, the police had nabbed two petty criminals after they had made extortion call to a property dealer and a fish trader. Similarly, the Tarn Taran police had also arrested three youths for demanding ransom from a woman.

How VPN works

The virtual private network (VPN) service helps the caller to make a private call. It establishes a secure, encrypted connection between a computer and the Internet, providing a private tunnel for data and communication.