12 arrests, 4 states, Rs 2.61 cr swindled: Delhi cops dismantle cyber syndicates

The Cyber Cell of Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has arrested 12 individuals and dismantled several inter-state cyber fraud syndicates operating across Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh.

The arrests resulted after week-long coordinated operations. In the first operation in Pali, Rajasthan, the police arrested three persons involved in a digital arrest scam in which an elderly man was defrauded of Rs 42.49 lakh after being falsely accused of money laundering.

The accused, identified as Mahendra Kumar Vaishnav, Vishal Kumar, and Shyam Das, had opened multiple mule accounts to facilitate the fraud.

A lien of Rs 7.08 lakh was secured and refunded to the complainant. In Uttar Pradesh’s Agra, two persons were arrested for an ‘online romance and investment’ scam in which a complainant was cheated of Rs 40.27 lakh.

The main accused, Devender Kumar, and his associate Shivam, alias Ashu, had used multiple bank accounts to layer the money.

Rs 2.49 lakh was refunded to the complainant, and further investigation revealed that Devender’s account was linked to 40 complaints and two FIRs on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.

In Jalandhar, Punjab, one accused, Anil, was arrested for providing mule bank accounts to cyber fraud operators. He was previously arrested in a similar case in Punjab and admitted to ‘supplying’ multiple accounts for commission-based gains.

In Una, Himachal Pradesh, the police arrested Naman Puri, who was part of a digital arrest scam in which Rs 30 lakh was defrauded. Rs 11 lakh was secured through lien. The accused admitted to providing his account, under pressure, for a 10 per cent commission. In Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, Mohd Parvez was apprehended in an online investment fraud case involving Rs 33.96 lakh.

The accused had provided his bank account and related details to an associate for commission-based transactions. A lien of Rs 1.75 lakh was secured. In Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, two men, Deepak Saini and Mudit Arora, were arrested for an investment fraud amounting to Rs 29.74 lakh.

They had lured the complainant through social media by posing as financial advisors linked with reputed institutions. Investigation revealed that 11 primary bank accounts were used to route funds.

In Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Mehvish Akhtar was arrested in connection with a Rs 31 lakh investment scam. The accused had received Rs 2 lakh in her bank account as part of layered transactions linked to the fraud.

In Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh, one Neelesh Kumar was arrested for facilitating a fake stock market investment scam amounting to Rs 26.95 lakh. A lien of Rs 1.20 lakh was secured, and 87 related complaints were found linked to his accounts.

According to police, the coordinated efforts of the Cyber Cell led to the arrest of 12 accused from four states, with cheated amounts totalling over Rs 2.61 crore.

Several bank accounts have been frozen, and partial refunds have been initiated through court orders. Investigations are underway to identify additional associates and trace the larger network behind these organised cyber frauds.