The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) has arrested 137 people, including 31 foreigners, in the past five years on charge of running Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) racket.

The CIB said it has claimed for a compensation amounting Rs 11 billion from the arrestees. 

VoIP is used to divert or route international calls from home network of authorised telecommunication companies which is illegal in the country.

On Friday, the CIB raided three places and arrested Kedar Achami, 28, of Sindhupalchok and Suman Shrestha, 26, of Pepsicola, for operating VoIP centres.

Superintendent of Police Dibesh Lohani, spokesperson of CIB, said Achami and Shrestha had hired rooms in different areas in the Capital city to run VoIP centres under the guise of bag shops.

“A Bangladeshi national had been supporting them,” said SP Lohani.