In a significant breakthrough, the Cyber Crime Unit of the Crime Branch has arrested two individuals from Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, in connection with two high-value cyber fraud cases—one involving a digital arrest scam and the other an investment fraud.
According to officials, Sachin Kolan, a resident of Nagda, Ujjain, was arrested for his role in a digital arrest fraud. In this case, a Bhubaneswar-based scientist was duped of Rs 1.06 crore. Police found that Rs 8.82 lakh from the stolen amount was transferred to Kolan’s bank account.
In a separate case, Samir Ali (36), a resident of Gudri Chouraha, Ujjain, was arrested for his involvement in a fake investment scheme. Investigators revealed that Rs 34.90 lakh had been credited to Ali’s account, part of a larger fraud amounting to over Rs 2.58 crore.
The digital arrest scam came to light when the scientist filed a complaint on August 9, 2024. He reported receiving a suspicious call from someone claiming to be from DHL Couriers, who alleged that a parcel sent in his name to Japan had been seized. The caller claimed it contained passports, credit cards, narcotics (200g MDMA), cash, and a laptop, and said that a case had been registered with the Mumbai Crime Branch.
The call was escalated to a video chat on WhatsApp, displaying a fake ID of the Mumbai Crime Branch, further pressuring the victim under the pretense of legal action. Fearing arrest, the victim was manipulated into transferring large sums of money.
The Crime Branch is continuing its investigation, and both suspects are being interrogated to identify other potential accomplices and beneficiaries of the fraud network.
