THANE: A probe into an illegal online betting and gaming racket in Ulhasnagar has led the Thane crime branch to a suspected cyber fraud network involving more than ₹58 crore, with five men arrested and 150 bank accounts linked to them identified. Of these, 97 accounts have already been linked to cyber fraud cases registered on the national Cyber Crime Portal, police said.
The Badlapur unit of the crime branch said the five accused were allegedly being used as mule account holders by a larger syndicate that targeted people in Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab and Odisha. Police are investigating who was operating the network and the role of other suspected members.
Police received information about an illegal online gaming racket operating in Ulhasnagar and raided the premises on July 31. Two persons were arrested during the raid. Police seized three laptops, 21 mobile phones, 23 SIM cards, 155 ATM cards, 105 bank passbooks and ₹74,000 in cash.
Further questioning of the two accused and examination of the seized digital evidence led police to three more suspects, who were subsequently arrested.
Rajesh Gajjal, senior police inspector and head of Unit 4 of the crime branch, said the police initially believed they had busted an online betting and gaming racket. However, the investigation revealed alleged links to a much larger cyber fraud operation.
“We suspect that these are only small links in a major syndicate involved in high-level cyber fraud,” he said, adding that the accused were apparently being used as mule account holders. “The accounts held by them were regularly receiving money, which they used to withdraw through ATM kiosks and of the accounts held by them, 97 had already been reported in cyber fraud cases on the Cyber Crime Portal,” Gajjal said.
{{/usCountry}}“We suspect that these are only small links in a major syndicate involved in high-level cyber fraud,” he said, adding that the accused were apparently being used as mule account holders. “The accounts held by them were regularly receiving money, which they used to withdraw through ATM kiosks and of the accounts held by them, 97 had already been reported in cyber fraud cases on the Cyber Crime Portal,” Gajjal said.
{{/usCountry}}Police said the arrested men did not appear to be highly qualified or technically proficient in cybercrime, leading investigators to suspect that people higher up in the syndicate were using them to operate mule accounts and withdraw fraud proceeds in cash.
“Further investigation is underway to identify the other members of the syndicate and ascertain their role in the fraud,” he said, adding that the accused were produced before a court and have been remanded to judicial custody.
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