Zeeshan Khan, 36, from Lucknow’s Chowk area, has been arrested by Lucknow Police in connection with a large-scale cyber fraud operation. The police found him in possession of multiple devices and documents, including four smartphones, two passports, three ATM cards, 22 cheque books/passbooks, and a SIM card. His arrest follows the earlier apprehension of two other gang members — Javed Iqbal, 36, from Gudamba, and Mohd Ahmed Khan, 35, from Madheyganj.
The gang operated under the guidance of Raffaq Rahi, an HR professional based in Myanmar. Rahi is said to have masterminded the cyber fraud operations from Myanmar, where the gang lured victims with fake job offers in Thailand. Once in Myanmar, the victims’ passports were confiscated, and they were coerced into engaging in cyber fraud instead of the promised employment.
According to the investigation, Rahi demanded Rs3 lakh from victims who wished to return home. The gang also earned approximately $500 (Rs43,000) for every person they sent to Myanmar. Zeeshan Khan revealed that his associates purchased bank accounts from various cities, which were then used to collect money from cyber fraud victims. These funds were later converted into USDT cryptocurrency via platforms like Ethereum (ERC20) and Tron (TRC20), and transferred to international associates.
The police also discovered that the accounts linked to the gang were involved in around 41 cyber fraud complaints across various states. Javed Iqbal, one of the gang members, has a criminal record with two previous cases registered in Lucknow. Additionally, two passports recovered from Mohd Ahmed Khan were intended for unauthorized travel to Myanmar under the guise of job placements in Bangkok.
The case came to light after two victims, Sultan Salahuddin Rabbani and Sadiq Mirza from Madheyganj, filed complaints. The victims were among 38 individuals from Uttar Pradesh who were rescued from Myanmar during a joint operation involving Myanmar, Thailand, and Chinese forces. This rescue operation followed the disappearance of Chinese actor Wang Xing (Xing Xing), which exposed illegal call centers operating in Myanmar for cyber fraud.
In total, around 540 victims from multiple countries were rescued, with 38 of them being brought back to India with the assistance of the Ministry of External Affairs.
