The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has apprehended an organized crime leader, Dheeraj Kumar Singh, along with five accomplices for their involvement in defrauding individuals through deceptive call centers. The gang utilized a website run by foreign hackers to execute their fraudulent online gambling schemes.
Authorities recovered an array of incriminating evidence from the suspects, including five counterfeit Aadhaar cards, four pre-activated SIM cards, 58 additional SIM cards, three cheque books linked to corporate bank accounts, two debit cards, six mobile phones, a car, and a motorcycle. The arrests occurred at the Safedabad crossing in Barabanki district, following a tip-off reported by The Times of India.
The arrested members include Tarun Purushottam Gavari, Abhishek, Sarjeet Singh, Rashid Khan, and Aman Yadav, all hailing from the Barabanki region and Lucknow.
STF DSP D K Shahi stated that the gang tricked unsuspecting victims by operating fake call centers and funneling money through a website managed by overseas fraudsters. They utilized third-party bank accounts to launder the illicit funds, offering account holders a 5% commission on the stolen amounts.
According to police reports, Dheeraj, Tarun, and Sarjeet revealed that they utilized Rashid, Aman, and Abhishek’s corporate bank accounts, cheque books, debit cards, and SIM cards to facilitate their operations.
The group maintained communication with bank account holders via the Telegram messaging app for over a year, transferring substantial amounts of money earned through their online gaming scams. Their bank accounts typically remained active for only two to three days before being frozen.
Additionally, the scammers acquired blank and activated SIM cards, which they cloned to perpetrate their fraud. They admitted to using fake Aadhaar cards to acquire SIM cards and book hotel accommodations. Authorities reported that the 58 recovered SIM cards were sourced from a local individual named Daksh, residing in the Irrigation Department colony in Barabanki.
Police have traced conversations regarding financial transactions across various bank accounts, using information gleaned from Telegram and WhatsApp.