In a major crackdown on cybercrime, Kandivali Police in Mumbai have arrested three cyber fraudsters from Jamtara, Jharkhand—a district long known as India’s cyber scam hotspot. The trio had come to Mumbai to withdraw illicit funds obtained through online scams.
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
Mohammad Imran Ansari (36)
Ali Uddin Sarfuddin Ansari (34)
Rajkumar Madhuban Prasad (33)
Police seized 56 ATM cards, eight mobile phones, and Rs90,000 in cash during the raid. The arrests were made by a team led by Inspector Harish Gawli and Assistant Inspector Deepak Kadbane, under the guidance of Senior Inspector Ravi Adane.
According to Kandivali Police, the accused confessed to involvement in multiple cyber scams across India, with several cases traced back to states like Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Maharashtra.
The operation was launched after cyber cell teams received a tip-off that fraudsters linked to a scam in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, were in Mumbai to withdraw stolen funds. Acting swiftly, police raided a hotel in Kandivali where the suspects were staying and arrested them on the spot.
Jamtara has earned infamy for producing large-scale cybercriminals, many of whom target unsuspecting victims across India using fake job offers, phishing links, or OTP-based scams. The Netflix web series “Jamtara” brought national attention to how deep-rooted and organized the local cybercrime networks are.
Investigators revealed that these fraudsters rarely use their own bank accounts to launder scam money. Instead, they rely on ‘third-party accounts’—opened using stolen or fake Aadhaar card details or by exploiting poor individuals in exchange for a small commission.
One disturbing trend identified by the police is the use of government schemes like the “Ladki Bahin Yojana” as a front to open fraudulent bank accounts in Mumbai. Many of these accounts are later used to transfer scam money, making it harder for authorities to trace the origin.
Further interrogation of the accused is expected to uncover links to a larger cybercrime syndicate operating across multiple states. Authorities are currently tracking down financial trails and identifying additional accomplices.
The crackdown was part of a coordinated effort involving PSI Shrikant Magar, ASI Sharad Gavkar, and the Kandivali Police Cyber Cell.
