Gandhinagar, September 17 (Daily Kiran) : The Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE) in Gujarat has apprehended three members of a cybercrime network accused of facilitating a ‘digital arrest’ fraud involving ₹3.76 crores. These individuals are linked to 29 complaints filed across 13 states.
Following technical surveillance and field investigations based on an FIR lodged at the CID Cyber Crime Cell, the suspects were arrested in Rajasthan and Chandigarh. Police reports indicate that the trio received approximately ₹83.11 lakhs and allegedly operated on commission to assist in transactions related to the fraud.
One of the arrested individuals from Chandigarh reportedly conducted USDT transactions using an application on his mobile phone, transferring cryptocurrency to members of the cyber fraud network. In exchange, the gang would send cash, which was funneled through their own and other bank accounts. Authorities noted that the 29 cybercrime complaints, which included about ₹13.11 lakhs, were connected to these transactions.
The two suspects arrested in Rajasthan allegedly opened a bank account under a partnership firm’s name, depositing nearly ₹70 lakhs earned from the digital arrest fraud with the intention of earning commission. They reportedly transferred the funds afterward. During the investigation, police uncovered information about seven bank accounts linked to the suspects’ mobile phones.
According to police, investigations on the National Cyber Crime Portal revealed that these accounts were involved in over 29 cybercrimes amounting to approximately ₹83.11 lakhs. The complaints spanned multiple states, including one in Gujarat, two in Maharashtra, seven in Karnataka, three in Tamil Nadu, and others across Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, and Odisha.
The investigation also uncovered a new method employed by absconding network members to launder the ₹3.76 crores acquired through digital arrests. Police reported that the suspects primarily targeted individuals seeking online loans, misleading them into believing they could secure loans from a finance company named Neo Finance. Victims were asked to submit necessary documents and were subsequently instructed to download a specific application from the Play Store to activate their accounts.
Once the application was activated, the suspects gained access to the victims’ mobile phones, enabling them to siphon off funds from the digital arrest fraud into their own bank accounts. This money was then transferred through bulk transactions to other accounts, effectively masking the fraudulent activities.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Gopal Ram and Nekdin Kathat from Ajmer, Rajasthan, and Deepak from Jind, Haryana. Police stated that the suspects utilized bank accounts opened in their names to transfer funds obtained from cyber fraud in exchange for commission.
Further investigation revealed that additional funds from the fraud were converted into USDT and distributed among other network members. The accounts under scrutiny were allegedly used in various fraudulent schemes, including digital arrests, investments, UPI-related issues, and trading frauds. Authorities seized four mobile phones during the operation.
The Cyber Center of Excellence has advised the public to verify the legitimacy of companies before applying for online loans and to refrain from sharing their bank account details, ATM cards, checkbooks, or SIM cards with others. They also cautioned against investment advertisements on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram that promise high returns in a short period.
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