The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) arrested Krishna Kumar alias Sunil, 27, from Ghaziabad on Friday for his involvement in a digital arrest scam that swindled Rs48 lakh from a Lucknow-based doctor, Dr. Ashok Solanki, earlier this year. This arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into a larger gang that has been posing as CBI officers to extort money from victims.
On August 20, Dr. Solanki received a call from a fraudster who introduced himself as an agent from FedEx Mumbai. The scammer claimed that Solanki’s credentials were linked to a suspicious shipment sent to Iran, which contained expired passports, a laptop, credit cards, narcotics, and toys. He was subsequently connected to a fake Mumbai crime branch officer who informed him that accounts had been opened using his credentials, and that crores of rupees had been transacted through Hawala channels.
Solanki was further threatened that he was under investigation by the CBI and ED. To clear his name, he was asked to pay Rs48 lakh, which the fraudsters claimed would be transferred through RBI to help track down the culprits. The doctor, under duress, made the payment.
The STF had already arrested five members of the gang from Gurugram on November 14 and another five from Lucknow on November 16 and December 3. Krishna Kumar’s arrest, made after a tip-off, marks a significant breakthrough in the investigation. Further interrogation is expected to provide more insights into the operations of this criminal group.