Cyber Crime
Kolkata Police Busts International Cybercrime Racket: 17 Arrested, Rs 245 Crore Swindled, Funds Routed Through Sri Lanka to Dubai via Cryptocurrency
The Bengal Police cyber units have successfully dismantled an international investment fraud syndicate allegedly masterminded by Indian chartered accountants operating from Dubai. This elaborate network is accused of defrauding individuals of Rs 245 crore in just two months.
In a significant breakthrough on Thursday, authorities apprehended 17 individuals and identified 2,500 mule accounts linked to the scam. The gang had operations spanning India, Dubai, and Sri Lanka.
According to officials, the syndicate’s modus operandi involved utilizing mule accounts to place bets on online casino websites registered in the Caribbean island nation of Curacao. The proceeds were laundered through cryptocurrency transactions in Sri Lanka before being transferred to Dubai, with intermediaries based in Gujarat and Delhi facilitating the process. The gang relied on hundreds of fraudulent accounts and SIM cards issued without proper verification.
Additional Director General (Cyber Crime) Hari Kishore Kusumakar revealed that of the 2,500 mule accounts under the syndicate’s control, 704 were actively used in fraudulent activities. The national cybercrime portal has flagged these accounts in connection with over 1,530 complaints originating from 29 states across India.
The investigation was initiated two months ago following a complaint in Bidhannagar, where a victim lost Rs 1.1 crore to an investment fraud. The complainant had been tricked into downloading a counterfeit application from a phishing website, which mimicked a reputed Indian wealth management firm.
The arrests were made from multiple locations, including Muzaffarpur, a luxury hotel in Kolkata, and an office in South Kolkata. Among those detained was an employee of a private bank in Nagerbazar, Kolkata.
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The syndicate was led by three key individuals, all Indian nationals now in custody: Abhishek Bansal, a chartered accountant from Siliguri; Mayank Chaudhury, originally from Bihar’s Kutch region; and Amit Jindal, a resident of Faridabad. The trio reportedly conceived the scheme after meeting at a casino in Nepal.
The gang established fake partnership firms and opened multiple current accounts with the assistance of colluding bank employees. They shared account details, including linked mobile numbers, with their Dubai-based leaders. To ensure seamless operations, they activated international roaming services on the SIM cards, enabling OTPs to be accessed from Dubai.
“These mule accounts were used to place bets on online casino platforms like onthebet99.com, allpanelexch.com, and diamondexchgg.com, among others,” explained Kusumakar.
This operation underscores the need for stricter monitoring of online transactions and enhanced verification protocols to prevent such fraudulent schemes in the future.
