The Cyber Crime Police have apprehended six individuals connected to a significant cyber fraud operation that was based in Dubai. The suspects were arrested on Friday and have been remanded to three days of police custody for further investigation.
Among those arrested are Raju Raiyani, Vijay Od, Mahesh Bhadiyadara, Chandresh Kakadiya, Hardik Desai, and T Thirugnanam. This gang was involved in opening bank accounts using the identities of unsuspecting individuals and subsequently utilizing these accounts for various fraudulent transactions.
Investigations revealed that the gang procured SIM cards and bank account kits from Dubai, which they used to establish savings and current accounts across multiple banks. These accounts facilitated financial fraud, including investment scams and online gaming fraud.
For each account, the accused earned commissions ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh, depending on the account type and transaction volume. Law enforcement officials seized numerous SIM cards, bank account kits, and debit cards from the suspects.
The masterminds behind the operation, including Vijay Parmar, Mukesh Parmar, Mayank Sojitra, Arun, Ajay Kakadiya, Tushar, Raju, Niles Patel, Mitesh Patel, Ketan Vaigela, and Milan Darji, are currently at large, prompting the police to initiate a manhunt for their capture.
During the initial interrogation, the suspects disclosed that they had opened fake bank accounts in the names of 136 individuals from Surat and its surrounding regions. The bank account kits and SIM cards were sent to Dubai, where they were exploited for fraudulent activities.
T Thirugnanam, a Tamil Nadu resident arrested in a hotel in the Station area, was involved in gathering bank account kits and SIM cards. His arrest followed information provided by Vijay Od during questioning.
The Cyber Crime Police are now conducting a separate investigation to locate the remaining suspects and ensure they are brought to justice.