In a major crackdown on cybercrime, the Surat Police have arrested four individuals involved in laundering money extorted from victims of the notorious ‘digital arrest’ scams. The gang, which has been linked to over 200 cyber fraud cases across 15 states and Union territories, was uncovered following an intensive three-month investigation by the Ahmedabad Police Cybercrime Cell.
The fraudsters used rooted devices running on Taiwanese technology, which were connected to a router designed to bypass security protocols. These devices forwarded One-Time Passwords (OTPs) and other sensitive details to another device operated remotely, possibly from Taiwan or Dubai. This sophisticated setup allowed the criminals to siphon off large sums of money from victims across the country and abroad.
The police’s investigation revealed that the money extorted from the victims of digital arrest scams, betting frauds, investment scams, and recovery frauds was funneled into mule accounts. From there, the illicit funds were distributed across a vast network of bank accounts. In total, Rs 111 crore worth of transactions were traced to 623 bank accounts, with 370 accounts actively receiving money from victims.
During the operation, the police seized laptops, computers, 198 bank passbooks, 139 debit cards, 336 SIM cards, 35 cheque books, and 16 bank kits. The gang also possessed 36 mobile phones used in the illicit operations.
On November 11, the police arrested Ajay Italiya, Vishal Tummar, and Jalpesh Nadiyadara from Surat. Additionally, Hiren Barwaliya was apprehended at the Mumbai airport while attempting to flee to Dubai. Further investigations revealed that Milan Vaghela, Jagdish Ajudiya, Ketan Vekariya, and Dashrath Dhandhaliya are still on the run.
The investigation has shed light on a far-reaching syndicate that exploited the vulnerabilities in the digital system, using advanced technology to evade detection. The authorities are continue scam.ing their search for the remaining suspects and are coordinating efforts to trace the international links involved in the scam.
