In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, Guwahati Police have arrested eight individuals involved in an elaborate cyber-fraud operation connected to the use of “mule bank accounts” to facilitate fraudulent transactions. The police action followed a raid at a lodge in the Boragaon area of the city on Wednesday, where the fraudsters had been operating.
Police Seize Large Haul of Fraudulent Equipment
The police team, led by Inspector Mayurjit Gogoi of Gorchuk Police Station, recovered several items from the arrested suspects, including:
- 31 mobile handsets
- 36 ATM cards
- 21 cheque books
- 7 stamps
- 4 cars
- 1 bike
- 4 portable drives
- 1 laptop
- Various tools like wrenches, testers, and screwdrivers
These items were used in the fraudulent operations, further strengthening the case against the accused.
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
- Shah Alam (29) from Barpeta
- Azizul Hoque (25) from Barpeta
- Alamin Khan (25) from Koyakuchi
- Rubul Hussain Khan (37) from Barpeta
- Kazi Saddam Hussain (32) from Barpeta Sadar
- Abdul Kalam (31) from Barpeta Sadar
- Azim Uddin Ali (37) from Barpeta Road
- Hasan Ali (36) from Barpeta
Initially, 15 individuals were detained during the raid. However, after preliminary questioning, it was revealed that several of them were directly involved in arranging mule bank accounts, which were then used to transfer money looted by cybercriminals from unsuspecting victims.
Accoring to Diganta Barah, the Commissioner of Police of Guwahati, the suspects had been approaching financially needy individuals, persuading them to open current or savings accounts in their names. The victims were promised a handsome profit in return for handing over their bank passbooks, ATM cards, and cheque books. The accused would then pass these documents to another set of criminals who used the accounts to launder defrauded funds.
The gang operated by paying the account holders Rs20,000 for each account, while making a profit of Rs80,000 after selling the account details to cybercriminals. The fraudsters would also promise the account holders 20% of the total transacted amount.
The gang would often use fake names and false documents to open these accounts with the help of unscrupulous bank employees. However, due to increasing vigilance by bank officials, the gang was finding it harder to open accounts using fraudulent details. The fraudsters circumvented this by ensuring that all transaction alerts and bank notifications were sent to the gang’s own mobile numbers, making it difficult for the actual account holders to realize their accounts were being misused.
