Madhya Pradesh Police have revealed a connection between a local gang and a sophisticated online fraud scheme operated from Laos, following the arrest of three individuals. The suspects, Gaurav Tiwari (22), Yogesh Patel (24), and Sujal Suryavanshi (21), all residents of Seoni district, were involved in obtaining duplicate SIM cards using fake identities.
The trio misused local villagers’ identity documents to acquire 450 SIM cards, sending around 400 of them to Kalis, the alleged mastermind, who operates a fraud network from Laos. Kalis, originally from Firozpur district in Punjab, has been linked to several fraud cases, including the scam targeting a 59-year-old woman from Indore in December 2024. The victim was duped into believing she had been “digitally arrested” and lost Rs 1.60 crore in the process.
Rajesh Dandotia, the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP), confirmed that authorities have arrested 13 other individuals across various states as part of the ongoing investigation into the expanding “digital arrest” fraud phenomenon. In this scam, fraudsters impersonate law enforcement officers via video or audio calls, falsely accusing the victims of criminal activities, then threatening legal consequences unless they pay large sums of money.
Authorities continue their investigation into this alarming rise in cybercrime activity, which preys on victims by exploiting digital technology to intimidate and extort money.