The Crime Branch’s Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) brought Sirajul Islam, a 32-year-old native of Assam, to Kochi on Wednesday for his alleged involvement in a massive Rs27 crore online credit card scam targeting a leading private bank in Kerala.
According to officials, Islam was arrested after a year-long investigation carried out with the support of the Assam Police. His brother, also accused in the case, remains absconding.
Investigators revealed that Islam operated a digital services and e-governance centre in Assam, where he collected PAN, Aadhaar, and other personal documents from the public. He allegedly tampered with these details, replaced photographs, and used the forged identities to clear online KYC verifications for credit card applications.
Using these fake identities, he managed to secure hundreds of virtual credit cards, transferred funds via digital wallets, and moved the stolen money into his own accounts before the physical cards could reach the real customers.
The fraud came to light when a customer complained about receiving a credit card he had never applied for, prompting an internal investigation by the bank in 2023. The bank later lodged a complaint with Kochi City Police, leading to the identification of Islam and his brother.
Police sources said the duo led a lavish lifestyle in Assam, owning several properties, a poultry farm, and a large house—assets believed to have been purchased with the proceeds of the fraud.
Islam was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court and has been remanded to judicial custody.
