In a significant operation led by Hyderabad’s Cybercrime Department, police have arrested 23 individuals from various states for their involvement in financial fraud networks. These fraudsters, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, were linked to 30 fraud cases in Telangana and a total of 359 cases across India. The criminals collectively swindled an amount of Rs5.2 crore from victims.
Hyderabad Cybercrime DCP, Dara Kavitha, confirmed that five police teams were involved in the operation, which also led to the seizure of cash, mobile phones, SIM cards, bank passbooks, and other financial documents. As part of the crackdown, the police managed to return Rs9 lakh to victims in three different cases this week.
Among the notable arrests was Kamlesh Kumari, a former BJP legislator from Uttar Pradesh, who was running a spiritual NGO. She was found to be hiding her criminal activities under the guise of the NGO and was given Rs35 lakh in commission by a cyber fraudster. In one case, a victim from Avanthi Nagar, after noticing deductions from his bank account, approached the police. The authorities managed to freeze his entire amount, and one of the banks refunded Rs25 lakh to the victim.
Another case involved Baria Sanjeev Kumar and Kali Rohitkumar Chhatrsinh Kalmi from Gujarat, who were arrested after deceiving an online trading scam victim who had lost Rs2.9 crore. The fraudsters had lured the victim by promoting a fake online trading platform, ‘Marval Capital,’ on YouTube.
DCP Kavitha advised the public to remain cautious about unsolicited messages and offers from unknown individuals on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram, which are often used by fraudsters to perpetrate their scams. The investigation is ongoing, with teams stationed in other states to apprehend more culprits and uncover additional fraud cases.
