Chandigarh police bust Interstate cyber-fraud racket; four arrested

Chandigarh [India], November 21 (ANI): The Cybercrime police station of Chandigarh has arrested four key members of an interstate cyber-fraud racket allegedly involved in a high-value online scam.
The arrests were made in connection with an FIR registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Sector 17.
The operation was conducted under the leadership of Geetanjali Khandelwal, SP (cyber crime)
The arrested accused have been identified as Mubarak Ali Gafar Ali Shah (24) and Ankit Surendra Jha (25), both residents of Thane, Maharashtra; Santosh Kumar Yadav (29),a resident of Surat, Gujarat; and Dharmendra Kumar (36), a resident of Kalyan (East), Maharashtra.
The case began after a complaint by a Chandigarh-based steel businessman.
During the investigation, technical analysis and scrutiny of bank KYC details revealed the use of multiple mule accounts to launder the money. Acting swiftly, Cyber Crime teams conducted raids in Ambarnath (West), Ulhasnagar, and Surat with the assistance of local police, resulting in the arrest of the four accused. Multiple bank passbooks, ATM cards, mobile phones, and SIM cards used in the crime were recovered.
According to police, Mubarak Ali had opened and sold second-layer bank accounts used to receive the fraud money. Ankit Jha acted as a middleman and supplied multiple bank accounts obtained from Mubarak Ali and others. Santosh Yadav procured bank accounts from unsuspecting individuals and also used SIM cards linked to the cybercrime. Dharmendra Kumar purchased these accounts and further supplied them to a handler involved in ATM withdrawals of the fraud proceeds.
The arrested accused have revealed the names of additional associates operating from Jharkhand and Bihar, and efforts are underway to apprehend them. CCTV footage from relevant banks has also confirmed the involvement of one of the suspects. Police officials said further custodial interrogation is required to examine recovered digital devices, trace the money trail, and identify other gang members.
The Chandigarh Police has advised the public to verify official emails and websites directly from company portals, avoid trusting unsolicited calls offering dealerships or franchises, and refrain from transferring money without meeting authorised company representatives. (ANI)