In a major crackdown on international cybercrime, the Delhi Police has dismantled a sophisticated syndicate accused of swindling thousands of Indians out of nearly Rs 100 crore. The fraudsters, operating with links to multiple foreign nations, used the terrifying tactic of "digital arrest" by impersonating Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) officers.
The Modus Operandi: Fear and Technology
The scam, which ran for several months, targeted victims across the country. Victims received threatening calls from individuals posing as ATS officials. These callers falsely claimed that the victims' phone numbers were linked to major terror incidents, including the Pahalgam attack and the Red Fort blast case in Delhi. The fraudsters then declared the victims to be under "digital arrest," coercing them into paying large sums of money to avoid legal action.
To execute this fraud, the syndicate relied on advanced telecom manipulation. They used illegal SIM box (or SIM bank) devices recovered from locations in Delhi, Mumbai, and Mohali. These devices can hold hundreds of SIM cards to route international calls and SMS, making them appear as local traffic. This illegal bypass of international gateways not only evaded charges but also helped mask the scam's origins.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO) Vinit Kumar explained the technical sophistication: "The syndicate routed international calls through illegal SIMBOX systems, disguising them as domestic Indian calls. They pushed calls through 2G networks to evade real-time tracking and manipulated device IMEI numbers. This made a single number appear to originate from multiple cities in a day, severely misleading investigators."
International Web Unravels: From Taiwan to Pakistan
The investigation, which began with a case registered in September 2025, involved a 25-member team and collaboration with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). It revealed a sprawling network with international connections.
Police traced the first SIMBOX setup to Goyla Dairy in Southwest Delhi. Raids led to the arrest of two local operators, Shashi Prasad (53) and Parvinder Singh (38). The probe took a significant turn with the exposure of foreign handlers. Forensic analysis showed that the SIMBOX devices were supplied and configured by Taiwanese nationals, coordinated via encrypted Telegram channels.
In a strategic move, investigators lured a key foreign handler, Taiwanese national I-Tsung Chen (30), to India. He was arrested at Delhi's international airport on December 21, 2025. Chen is alleged to be the principal technical backbone, smuggling devices into India and concealing their identities for a larger Taiwan-based syndicate led by gangster ShangMin Wu.
Further investigations in Mohali, Punjab, led to the arrest of Sarbdeep Singh and Jaspreet Kaur, who had prior experience in Cambodia-based scam centres. They revealed that a Pakistani handler funded and directed the Indian operations. The use of Pakistani-origin IMEI numbers to mask devices raised serious national security flags.
Cryptocurrency Laundering and Nationwide Impact
The financial trail of the scam led investigators to Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, where they uncovered a crypto-financing angle. Dinesh K was arrested for allegedly coordinating cryptocurrency laundering across Southeast Asia. Another SIMBOX setup was seized in Malad, Mumbai, leading to the arrest of Abdus Salam.
The scale of the operation is staggering. Forensic examinations have connected over 5,000 compromised IMEI numbers and approximately 20,000 SIM cards to this fraud module. Cybercrime complaints linked to the network have poured in from multiple states. Police recoveries include 22 SIM box devices, mobile phones, laptops, routers, and foreign SIM cards.
With seven arrests made so far, the investigation is ongoing. Authorities are now focused on tracing intricate money-laundering channels, analysing cryptocurrency transactions, and identifying the remaining domestic and international operatives involved in this Rs 100 crore racket.
