India’s biggest ‘digital arrest’ scam worth ₹58 crore: Mumbai police bust cyber fraud ring, 6 arrested

MUMBAI police said on Friday they had broken up an interstate cyber fraud gang and apprehended six people in Gujarat. All were allegedly involved in digital arrest cases, including one of India’s biggest ‘digital arrest’ scams worth ₹58 crore.

The police said a team from the Mumbai police arrested the suspects from Mehsana and Ahmedabad in Gujarat over the last few days.

The key accused was in contact with fraudsters based in China and Cambodia, who instructed him on which bank accounts to use and how to transfer the siphoned money, according to a preliminary probe.

The police tracked down the suspects while probing the case of a pensioner residing in central Mumbai who was duped of ₹70 lakh under the threat of ‘digital arrest’.

A case was lodged at the RAK Marg police station in Mumbai and a full investigation was launched into the matter.

‘Digital arrest’ is a form of cybercrime in which fraudsters pose as law enforcement officials or personnel from government agencies and intimidate victims through audio/video calls. They hold the victims hostage and pressure them into paying money.

India’s largest ‘digital arrest’ fraud

The investigation further revealed that the same gang was responsible for what is believed to be one of India’s largest ‘digital arrest’ fraud cases. A 72-year-old businessman was swindled out of a massive ₹58 crore.

The businessman and his wife were held in ‘digital arrest’ by the accused, who impersonated as officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over two months.

The police said the accused would initially park the swindled money in two bank accounts before transferring it to 138 subsequent accounts and converting it into cryptocurrency and American dollars.

Besides posing as officials from the CBI and the ED, the accused also claimed to be senior officials of the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), New Delhi and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). They had even impersonated the NIA chief and senior IPS officer Sadanand Date.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 4) Ragasudha R said the accused include Sureshkumar Maganlal Patel (51), Musran Iqbalbhai Kumbhar (30), Chirag Mahesh Choudhary (29), Ankit Kumar Maheshbhai Shah (40), Vasudev alias Vivan Waljibhai Barot (27) and Yuvraj alias Marco alias Laxman Singh Sikarwar (34).

“Yuvraj is the kingpin of the gang who was in direct contact with the transnational accused persons,” she said.

The DCP added that he had been involved in cyber fraud for the last three years and used to receive a 3% commission for the frauds.

The official further said that Yuvraj recruited local businessmen and traders holding current bank accounts, used these accounts to park money from the frauds, and offered them a 3% commission.