In a significant breakthrough, Cuttack Police dismantled a cybercrime racket and arrested the mastermind, Surendra Sahu, in a crackdown on online trading fraud. The arrests were made following a complaint filed by a Cuttack-based employee who was duped of Rs 24 lakh by a gang promising huge returns from an online trading platform.
The investigation led police to discover that Surendra Sahu, a diploma engineer from Odisha, operated a cyber fraud training center in Cuttack’s Badambadi area. Here, Sahu and his accomplice, Keshav Gowda, lured young individuals into online trading through fake applications, offering them free training with promises of substantial daily income.
The fraudulent operation involved training people, collecting investments, and directing them to trade on fake trading apps created by Surendra. Once the victims deposited money, the apps would be shut down, and new ones would be developed after a few months. In total, the gang managed to defraud victims of approximately Rs 60 lakh.
Surendra and Keshav’s illicit activities extended beyond Cuttack and Berhampur. They even used fake identity documents to create fraudulent accounts and deposited the money into accounts across multiple states, including Delhi, West Bengal, and Balasore. The two masterminds traveled to Bangkok and Dubai to launder the stolen money.
Police confiscated two mobile phones, six SIM cards, and fake Aadhaar and PAN cards from Surendra’s possession, as part of the ongoing investigation. The duo has now been arrested and are facing charges related to cybercrime and online fraud.
