Raipur Police Crack Down on Interstate Forex Fraud Racket, Arrest 18-Year-Old Mastermind
In a significant breakthrough, police in Raipur have apprehended an 18-year-old prime accused behind a sophisticated interstate forex fraud racket that targeted a city-based tour operator, resulting in a loss of Rs 19.47 lakh. This arrest marks a crucial step in dismantling a criminal network suspected of orchestrating at least 22 scams across multiple states, cheating victims of nearly Rs 3 crore in total. Authorities report that several other members of the gang remain absconding, with investigations ongoing to track them down.
Details of the High-Profile Fraud Case
The arrest followed an intensive probe into a high-profile fraud incident involving Hardeep Singh Hora, a resident of Guru Nanak Nagar who owns a travel agency. Hora filed a formal complaint at the Telibandha police station, detailing how he received a call from an unknown number on WhatsApp on March 1. The caller, identifying himself as Harshit Agarwal, requested hotel bookings in the United States and the United Kingdom, setting the stage for the elaborate scam.
On March 2, the same caller contacted Hora again, instructing him to visit a co-working space at Currency Tower in Telibandha. He was told to bring 18,000 USD and 2,000 GBP, with the assurance that his brother, Rakshit Agarwal, would provide the equivalent amount in Indian currency at the meeting point. At the office, a person posing as Rakshit left the cabin under the pretext of fetching a cash-counting machine, while Harshit kept Hora engaged over the phone. In a swift move, the accused allegedly fled with the foreign currency, valued at approximately Rs 19.47 lakh, leaving the victim stranded.
Joint Police Operation Leads to Arrests
A joint team comprising the Anti-Crime and Cyber Unit alongside Telibandha police swiftly acted on the complaint, leading to the arrest of two individuals connected to the case. The arrested persons are Prosenjit Chakraborty, a 38-year-old from Howrah, West Bengal, and Mayank Sharma, a 24-year-old from Rewari, Haryana. These arrests are part of a broader effort to curb the activities of the interstate racket, which has been operating across various regions, exploiting victims through similar fraudulent schemes.
Key Points of the Investigation:
- The gang is suspected to have carried out at least 22 scams, with total losses estimated at nearly Rs 3 crore.
- Several members of the racket are still at large, and police are intensifying efforts to apprehend them.
- The modus operandi involved using fake identities and elaborate setups to deceive victims, particularly in the travel and forex sectors.
- This case highlights the growing threat of cyber-enabled financial frauds in India, prompting calls for enhanced vigilance and security measures.
As the investigation progresses, authorities are urging the public to remain cautious of unsolicited calls and requests involving foreign currency transactions. The arrest of the 18-year-old mastermind is seen as a critical blow to the racket, but police emphasize that more work is needed to fully eradicate such criminal networks and protect citizens from financial exploitation.
