In a major blow to cybercriminals, the Jalandhar Police Commissionerate on Sunday busted an organized online fraud network operating out of a hotel in the city. Acting on specific intelligence, a team from Navi Baradari police station raided Hotel M-1, arresting three suspects and seizing large sums of cash and digital evidence.
During the raid, police recovered Rs24 lakh in cash, 14 mobile phones, a laptop, 19 bank passbooks registered under multiple identities, and 43 ATM cards, which are believed to have been used for fraudulent online transactions.
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
Varun Anchal – Shaheed Babu Labh Singh Nagar, Jalandhar
Anil – Madhuban Colony, Jalandhar
Dudhagara Rimpal – Morbi Road, Rajkot, Gujarat
Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur confirmed that the arrests stemmed from intensive surveillance and prompt action by her team. “This is a significant breakthrough. The seized items point to a well-organized cybercrime ring using fake identities to manipulate financial systems,” she said.
Initial investigations suggest that the group was using the ATM cards and bank accounts to channel illegal funds, possibly linked to larger interstate or even international networks. The trio was presented in court and police obtained a three-day remand for further questioning.
“We are actively examining the digital data and documents to identify other members of the network and victims,” Commissioner Kaur said. “This is only the beginning — more arrests are likely.”
She assured the public that the police are committed to rooting out cybercrime, stating: “No one involved will be spared. We are following every digital footprint.”
