Two people were arrested on Saturday after a joint team of cybercrime police and the Special Operations Group (SOG) busted an alleged cyber fraud hub operating from what appeared to be a routine call centre in Jajmau. The network’s financial trail has reached ₹ 5,600 crore, according to Kanpur police.
The network allegedly lured people with promises of high returns on investments and routed their money through fake firms, gaming platforms and multiple bank accounts. Police have arrested two alleged masterminds, while five other suspects remain on the run. The accused then moved the money through various gaming platforms and a network of bank accounts to make it difficult to trace its source. The joint cyber and crime branch team also seized two Android phones, cheque books, ATM cards and fake GST and Udyam registration certificates from the accused. During questioning, the accused allegedly named five other associates — Ihtisham Hussain, Shavez Ilahi, Mohd Muzammil, Ikhlaq Hussain and Mohd Arif. Police teams are conducting raids to arrest them.
Police commissioner Raghuveer Lal stated that the gang had opened 72 suspicious bank accounts with 14 banks in Kanpur. The network was found to have links across more than 18 states, including Delhi, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Investigators found 86 complaints linked to the alleged network on the national crime records bureau’s portal, police said. The investigation has so far uncovered financial transactions worth around ₹ 5,600 crore, he added. Additional DCP (operations) Sumit Ramteke said, the police operation also led to the recovery of ₹ 65.26 lakh in cash. The reported Jajmau operation comes amid heightened police action against fraudulent call centres and cyber networks in the area; in a separate operation earlier this week, police had arrested 11 people from a fake call centre allegedly targeting foreign nationals.
HDFC Bank accounts recorded the highest volume of the alleged fraudulent transactions, police said. The funds were allegedly withdrawn in cash after being routed through multiple accounts and sent to different states through hawala channels, or reinvested through the fictitious firms, said police. Police said cybercrime units in Hyderabad, Noida and Agra had previously registered cases against them.
The two arrested men were also allegedly involved in earlier cybercrime cases.
