On Wednesday, Lucknow’s Cyber Police apprehended three members of a notorious cyber gang from Jharkhand, including a minor, after a string of phone thefts in the city. The gang used stolen phones to hack into bank accounts and siphon off money.
The arrested individuals, Govinda Kumar Mahato and Suraj Nonia, are from Teen Pahad village in Sahebganj, Jharkhand. They primarily targeted high-end smartphones, bypassing security locks, reactivating e-wallets, and transferring funds from the devices. These stolen phones were then smuggled to Nepal and Bangladesh, making it challenging for authorities to track them.
In one of the more recent incidents, Colonel Santosh Kumar Mishra’s phone was snatched while he was shopping near Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University in the PGI area. Within hours, Rs 7.50 lakh was withdrawn from his linked bank accounts and credit cards.
Similarly, businessman Ram’s iPhone was stolen in Gomtinagar Extension, and a large sum of money was fraudulently withdrawn from his accounts in multiple transactions. As reports of similar thefts surged, cybercrime investigators traced the activity back to the Jharkhand-based gang.
According to the police, the gang often exploits minors to carry out thefts, protecting senior members from direct involvement. If a minor is apprehended, gang members claim innocence based on the minor’s age.
The gang’s method of operation includes unlocking stolen phones, bypassing security features, and reactivating digital wallets linked to the device’s SIM cards to transfer funds. The phones are then sold across borders, in places like Nepal and Bangladesh, making it harder for authorities to recover the stolen items.
Authorities have intensified efforts to capture the gang’s leaders, with a manhunt currently underway.
