In a major breakthrough, the Guwahati Police have arrested eight individuals connected to a cyber fraud syndicate operating mule bank accounts to facilitate money laundering. The arrests took place following a raid on a lodge in the Boragaon area of the city on Wednesday.
The accused, all hailing from Barpeta district, have been identified as Shah Alam (29), Azizul Hoque (25), Alamin Khan (25), Rubul Hussain Khan (37), Kazi Saddam Hussain (32), Abdul Kalam (31), Azim Uddin Ali (37), and Hasan Ali (36). Authorities recovered a significant array of evidence, including 31 mobile phones, 36 ATM cards, 21 cheque books, seven stamps, and various electronic devices used in the scam.
The operation was initiated after the Gorchuk Police Station received a tip-off regarding fraudulent activities at a lodge near Apollo Excelcare Hospital in Boragaon. Acting on this lead, a police team led by Inspector Mayurjit Gogoi raided Talukdar Hotels & Lodge and detained 15 individuals for questioning. Investigations revealed that several of the detained suspects were involved in opening and using bank accounts to facilitate money laundering operations.
According to police reports, the gang targeted financially vulnerable individuals, enticing them to open bank accounts with promises of payment. These accounts were then sold to criminals who used them to launder illicit funds obtained through fraud. Account holders were paid Rs 20,000, while the fraudsters profited Rs 80,000 per account.
