ROURKELA: Rourkela police on Tuesday arrested Manoranjan Mishra (43), a resident of Chhend Colony and native of Kendrapara district, for allegedly duping people of over Rs3.49 crore through fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes.
Police said that between June 14, 2024, and March 20, 2025, the accused received Rs3.49 crore from suspicious sources into his Bank of India account. The investigation began following a letter from the Crime Branch and corroborating details from the NCRP portal, which included bank accounts linked to illegal financial transactions and cyber fraud.
During a raid at Mishra’s residence, he reportedly confessed to operating a current account under the name ‘Lingaraj Construction’ to receive and disperse proceeds from cyber fraud. Investigators found that the account was used for receiving, layering, and dissipating illicit funds, with 96 complaints from across India linked to it.
Mishra allegedly lured victims with promises of high returns on cryptocurrency investments. Victims were persuaded to invest through links provided by him, after which the money was transferred to his account.
Police seized one mobile phone with two SIM cards, his Aadhaar card, online transaction records, a debit card, and a credit card. Further investigation is ongoing to trace accomplices and recover additional defrauded funds.
