In a significant breakthrough, the Udhna police in Surat have apprehended one of the masterminds behind the massive Rs 1,550-crore cyberfraud that came to light in May last year. The accused, identified as Divyesh Chakrani (26), was arrested immediately after he landed at Surat airport from a flight originating in Sharjah, Dubai.
Key Role in International Cybercrime Syndicate
According to police officials, Chakrani had fled to Dubai soon after the scam was unearthed in 2023. He played a pivotal role in the elaborate fraud operation by supplying mule current accounts to Chinese criminal gangs operating from Dubai. These accounts were crucial for routing and laundering the illicit proceeds.
From Textile Business to Cybercrime
Investigations reveal that Chakrani and his co-accused Kirat Jadwani were previously engaged in the textile business in Surat. After suffering substantial financial losses during 2020–21, they allegedly joined forces with a Surat-based cybercrime syndicate. Chakrani coordinated closely with other accused individuals, including Mayur Italaiya and Meet Khokhar, to arrange these fraudulent bank accounts.
The group reportedly established shell companies and opened current accounts with the assistance of complicit bank officials. These accounts were then systematically used to channel the fraudulently obtained funds, amounting to the staggering sum of Rs 1,550 crore.
Dramatic Arrest at Surat Airport
Chakrani, who holds a UAE golden visa, initially escaped to Mumbai following police raids on multiple offices in May last year. He subsequently fled to Dubai, where he initially stayed with members of the Chinese gang. However, he gradually exhausted his financial resources, and his attempts to restart a textile business in Dubai proved unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, his family in India urged him to return to meet his fiancée, as he was already engaged. Believing that police surveillance might have diminished, Chakrani booked a flight from Sharjah to Surat. Unbeknownst to him, the Surat police had issued a lookout circular against him, leading to his immediate arrest upon arrival at the airport.
Expansive Investigation and Record Chargesheet
With Chakrani's arrest, the total number of individuals held in this case has now reached 30, marking one of the highest arrest counts in any cybercrime investigation in Gujarat's history. The arrests include eight bank officials, representing the largest number of bankers implicated in a single cyberfraud case within the state.
Investigators have filed what is now recognized as Gujarat's largest-ever chargesheet in a cybercrime case, comprising an astonishing 1.5 lakh pages. This comprehensive document details the intricate workings of the fraud and the roles of various accused persons.
Origins of the Case
The international cybercrime ring was initially busted during a routine vehicle-checking drive on May 21 last year. Udhna police stopped a man riding a moped in the Ramnagar area and recovered several cheque books and bank kits from his possession. During questioning, he revealed that these items belonged to his associates, Meet Khokhar and Kirat Jadwani.
Acting on this crucial tip-off, police conducted a raid on their office in Mota Varachha, uncovering a large cache of incriminating materials, including cheque books, debit cards, SIM cards, and additional bank kits. Subsequent investigations uncovered fraudulent transactions totaling Rs 1,550 crore, which were routed through 164 different bank accounts.
This case highlights the sophisticated nature of modern cybercrime and the determined efforts of law enforcement agencies in Gujarat to combat such large-scale financial frauds. The arrest of Divyesh Chakrani represents a significant step forward in bringing all perpetrators to justice and dismantling the networks that enable such elaborate scams.
