In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, the Delhi Police has apprehended five individuals from Jamtara in Jharkhand and Kolkata in West Bengal last week. The arrests were made in connection with a series of sophisticated cyber scams that allegedly duped numerous victims across the country.
Widespread Fraud Network Uncovered
Investigations revealed that the bank accounts utilized by this criminal gang were associated with more than 400 complaints registered on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP). These complaints emerged from recovered and shared bank accounts, with the total amount cheated estimated to be approximately Rs 6.5 crore. The scale of this operation highlights the growing threat of organized cyber fraud in India.
Recent Scam Incident in Hauz Khas
The gang was recently implicated in cheating a resident of Hauz Khas in Delhi of Rs 16 lakh. The modus operandi involved convincing the victim to download a counterfeit banking application under the guise of completing an e-KYC process. "This scam led to unauthorized access to his bank account, the illegal sanction of a personal loan, and the siphoning of funds through multiple mule accounts," stated the police in their official report.
Formation of Special Investigation Team
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan took charge of the situation by forming a dedicated team to probe the case. During the investigation, authorities identified a well-organized interstate cyber fraud gang operating from multiple locations, including Jamtara in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, and Delhi itself.
Arrests in Kolkata
Raids conducted in Kolkata resulted in the arrest of three key suspects. Pranab Mondal (30) was apprehended as a mule bank account holder and the first beneficiary, with Rs 7,15,000 credited and subsequently withdrawn from his account. Monjee Yadav (39), another mule account holder and cash withdrawal facilitator, was also arrested; funds amounting to Rs 1,00,000 were withdrawn through his involvement. The third suspect, Rahil Khan (30), acted as a cash withdrawal agent and was identified through CCTV footage withdrawing cheated money from various ATMs across the city.
Operations in Jamtara
Subsequent police raids in Jamtara, Jharkhand, led to the arrest of Shiv Shakti Kumar (30), who served as the main handler and cash collection agent. Kumar was responsible for coordinating the movement of funds, distributing commissions among gang members, and converting the cheated money into cryptocurrency, specifically USDT. Another accused, Rupesh Das (34), a handler from Jamtara, was also taken into custody during these operations.
Recovery of Evidence
The police have seized substantial evidence from the arrested individuals, which includes:
- 14 mobile phones
- 20 ATM debit cards
- 20 SIM cards
- 20 cheque books
- Five bank passbooks
- Four bank welcome kits
These items are expected to aid in further investigations and potentially uncover more details about the gang's extensive operations.
This case underscores the persistent challenges posed by cyber fraud in urban and rural areas alike, with authorities emphasizing the need for public vigilance and robust cybersecurity measures to combat such crimes effectively.
