The Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Saturday arrested five members of a highly organised interstate gang involved in defrauding major e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart, seizing stolen goods and equipment worth Rs20.5 lakh.
The arrested accused have been identified as Ramlal alias Romil Gehlot (27), Manoj Kumar Mali (30), Bharat Kumar Sundesha (25) and Vishal Panchal (29) — all residents of Jalore district in Rajasthan — along with Vishal Bavri, a resident of Surat. Two other gang members, Rishipal Bhati and Vinod, are currently absconding.
Police said the gang operated across Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Jalore, targeting the logistics supply chain of e-commerce companies. Using multiple fake user IDs and passwords, the accused placed orders for expensive electronic gadgets.
Before the parcels reached customers, delivery personnel linked to the gang intercepted the consignments. With the help of specialised tools, the genuine products were carefully removed and replaced with dummy items resembling the originals. The orders were then marked as cancelled or returned, allowing the gang to divert the authentic products.
The stolen electronics were later sold in the grey market for illegal profits.
An official told IANS, “We are currently probing multiple angles. These five arrests are part of the primary investigation. Further analysis will help us reach the root of the network.”
During the operation, police seized eight genuine mobile phones, 25 dummy phones, three dummy earbuds, 12 dummy gaming processors, a camera lens, an electric hair dryer, along with glue remover bottles, plastic syringes, steel tools used to tamper with parcels, packaging material, and a Mahindra Scorpio vehicle used to transport the stolen goods.
During interrogation, the accused admitted their involvement in earlier frauds, including the theft of one iPhone 17 Pro Max and three iPhone 16 Pro devices in Vadodara in January, seven mobile phones and 10 Apple Watches in Surat in October 2025, and two Apple Watches in Jalore in December 2025.
A case has been registered at the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) Police Station under Sections 61(2)(a) and 316(5) of the Indian Penal Code, and further investigation is underway.
Authorities have urged online shoppers to remain vigilant and assured that strict legal action will be taken against anyone found involved in such fraudulent activities.
