Bengaluru, 16 June

In a major crackdown on cybercrime, a gang allegedly involved in "Digital Arrest" fraud was arrested, three persons, officials said on Tuesday.

During the operation, authorities managed to freeze Rs 1,03,142 of the cheated amount. The police also recovered three mobile phones from the possession of the accused.

On 19 January 2026, a complainant lodged a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), stating that he had fallen victim to a cyber-fraud.

According to the complaint, on 8 January 2026, he received a call from a woman who claimed to be an employee of a telecom company. She informed him that a mobile number issued using his Aadhaar card was being used in illegal gaming activities in Bengaluru.

The complainant was then connected via video call to a man who introduced himself as a Sub-Inspector from Indira Nagar Police Station, Bengaluru. The accused falsely claimed that four bank accounts had been opened using the complainant's Aadhaar card and that these accounts were linked to a money laundering case. Subsequently, other fraudsters posed as senior police officials and intimidated the complainant by telling him that he was under investigation.

The fraudsters kept the complainant under continuous video surveillance and, by creating fear of legal action, obtained details of his bank accounts, fixed deposits, mutual funds, shares, and other assets. They instructed him to prematurely liquidate his investments and transfer the funds to various bank accounts and UPI IDs.

The accused claimed that the money was being deposited into RBI auditors' escrow accounts for verification and would be returned after the investigation. To gain the complainant's trust, they even sent fake RBI receipts.

Between 9 January and 16 January 2026, the complainant transferred a total of Rs 15,31,997 to various accounts specified by the fraudsters. He later realised that he had been cheated by individuals impersonating telecom officials, police officers, and government agency representatives.

Based on the complaint, e-FIR was registered at Cyber Police Station Rohini, and an investigation was initiated. The investigation revealed that the money transferred by the complainant had been routed through multiple bank accounts. Two major beneficiary accounts were identified:

Union Bank account in the name of Ankit, which received Rs 1,98,000.

Bank of India account in the name of Aman Kumar, which received Rs 98,000.

Technical analysis revealed that the mobile numbers linked to both accounts were being used in the same device, and their location at the relevant time was traced to Ismailpur, Faridabad.

Based on technical surveillance and local intelligence, a police team conducted a raid in Village Deepari, Post Migholi, District Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, and arrested the accused Ankit. During interrogation, he disclosed that he worked for Mohammad Noor Alam, who arranged mule bank accounts used in cyber frauds. Ankit admitted to providing four bank accounts, banking documents, SIM cards, Aadhaar card copies, and consent letters.

During further investigation, another accused, Saim Ansari, was arrested. He had provided his bank account for use in cyber fraud activities and was in contact with the gang's operators through Snapchat.

The kingpin, Mohammad Noor Alam, was arrested in Ismailpur, Faridabad. Investigation revealed that he was involved in arranging mule accounts and was in contact with a person named Bilal, based in Pakistan.

Noor Alam disclosed that the fraud proceeds were first deposited into the bank accounts arranged by him. He then converted the funds into USDT (cryptocurrency) and transferred them to Bilal in Pakistan. In return, he received commission in USDT, which he later converted into cash through various bank accounts.

Further investigation revealed that the accused had initially come into contact with cyber fraudsters through Instagram. The three arrested accused were found in possession of mobile phones, which have been seized by the police.

Police are continuing the investigation to identify other associates involved in the racket and to trace the complete money trail.