Nautanwa | December 27, 2025 | A new, highly organised and cross-border form of cybercrime has surfaced in the Nautanwa–Sonauli belt along the India–Nepal border. According to investigating agencies, cyber fraudsters are now converting scam proceeds into digital wallets and cryptocurrency, transferring the money onward to Nepal. The network has effectively turned the border region into a financial “safe route,” making it difficult to trace the origin and final destination of illicit funds.
Intelligence agencies say handlers operating from border areas collect large sums through fake calls, online investment schemes, KYC update frauds, banking scams, and OTP-based thefts. Once collected, the money is diverted away from traditional banking channels, parked in digital wallets, and then converted into cryptocurrency to obscure transaction trails.
Digital wallets emerge as a ‘money corridor’
Investigations reveal that scam proceeds are first transferred into digital wallets within India. The funds are then moved in multiple layers across different wallets and crypto accounts before reaching handlers active in Nepal. Leveraging the geography of the open border and ease of cross-border movement, the syndicate has created a digital money corridor between the two countries.
Sources say several crypto wallets are registered under deliberately vague or proxy identities. In some cases, forged or rented identity documents were used, making it harder to reconstruct transaction trails or identify the ultimate beneficiaries.
Disproportionate assets trigger deeper scrutiny
Agency vigilance intensified after inputs indicated that some suspects—despite limited or negligible declared income—were displaying high-value properties, luxury vehicles, and lavish lifestyles. These disproportionate assets prompted coordinated probes by cyber cells, economic offences units, and other enforcement agencies.
Authorities are conducting technical surveillance of suspicious bank accounts, mobile numbers, SIM cards, and digital wallets. Parallel scrutiny is underway to analyse Nepal-linked transactions, IP addresses, and cryptocurrency patterns to map the full network.
Suspected international cyber syndicate
Investigators suspect the operation is not merely a local gang but part of a larger international cyber-fraud syndicate using the India–Nepal border as a secure transit zone. The anonymity and decentralised nature of cryptocurrency has become the network’s primary tool, enabling relatively frictionless cross-border transfers.
Cyber experts warn that if swift and decisive action is not taken, this laundering model could spread to other border regions, accelerating cybercrime and money-laundering risks.
Threats to economic and internal security
Officials stress that converting cybercrime proceeds into cryptocurrency is not just an economic offence. It raises the risk of money laundering and potentially anti-national activities, elevating the case to an internal security concern rather than a routine cybercrime investigation.
Administration and police on high alert
The administration has urged citizens to remain vigilant against suspicious calls, links, or investment offers, and to report any suspected cybercrime immediately via the cyber helpline or local police.
Area officer Ankur Gautam said special surveillance drives are underway across border-adjacent pockets. He indicated that the probe has reached a decisive phase and major enforcement action is likely soon.
