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Zirakpur police bust online loan fraud racket targeting foreigners; 10 arrested
According to police, the accused operated a cyber fraud network in which they contacted foreign nationals through online calls and lured them with offers of low-interest loans.
Zirakpur police busted an online fraud racket that targeted people abroad by offering loans at low interest rates and arrested 10 accused during a special operation.
According to police, the accused operated a cyber fraud network in which they contacted foreign nationals through online calls and lured them with offers of low-interest loans. They falsely claimed to arrange loans and convinced victims to pay processing fees or advance charges in dollars.
The accused collected money from victims without authorisation to provide loans. They ran the operation in a planned manner while sitting in India and targeted people living abroad.
Police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the IT Act at Zirakpur police station. The accused include Melvin Thakkar, identified as the kingpin, along with Anirudh Palhaniya, Anant Dev Kaushik, Pawan Pandevar, Sonu Diyali, Milan Sunwar, Ashiq Darji, Arjun Shetri, Prashant Om Prakash Jaiswal, and Palwinder Singh.
Police said the accused were operating from rented flats in Zirakpur, including locations in Maya Garden and Motiaz City. During the raid, the team caught them actively making online calls related to the fraud. SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans said the police team apprehended all 10 accused and recovered nine laptops and 10 mobile phones from their possession.
Police are questioning the accused to uncover more details about the racket and identify additional victims and financial transactions linked to the operation.
