The Crime Branch has busted an interstate gang involved in mobile theft and cyber fraud by arresting four youths near the railway junction area. Police have recovered 45 stolen mobile phones from their possession, estimated to be worth around ₹15 lakh.
Gang’s Modus Operandi: Theft to Cyber Fraud
According to police officials, the arrested accused are residents of Jharkhand and West Bengal. Investigators said the gang had been operating in Bareilly for several days and was planning further mobile thefts.
The gang mainly targeted crowded public places where they would steal mobile phones from unsuspecting victims. After stealing the device, they would remove the SIM card and insert it into another phone to obtain OTPs for financial fraud.
OTP Exploitation for UPI Banking Fraud
Police said the gang used OTP-based techniques to port mobile numbers and access banking applications linked to the stolen phones. After completing the SIM porting process, they activated the victim’s UPI account through OTP authentication and transferred money from the linked bank accounts.
The cyber criminals also sold stolen mobile phones to other fraud networks. During the investigation of a separate case, police found that a stolen mobile phone was used in a cyber fraud incident, which led investigators to change the direction of the probe.
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Arrest Near Bareilly Railway Junction
Acting on technical surveillance inputs, the cyber and crime branch teams conducted a joint operation and arrested the four accused near Bareilly railway junction. The recovered mobile phones are being examined to identify their original owners.
Accused Identified from Jharkhand, West Bengal
The arrested individuals have been identified as Sagar Kumar from Maharajpur in Sahibganj district of Jharkhand, Sumit Kumar from Suthiyal Pada in Sahibganj, Jharkhand, Aakash Nunaiya from Asansol in Asansol, and Rishi Kumar from Maharajpur, Sahibganj, Jharkhand.
Police officials said the investigation is still ongoing to uncover the larger cybercrime network associated with the gang. The authorities are also trying to trace the owners of the recovered mobile phones and gather evidence related to previous theft cases.
Senior officers stated that the gang was involved in both mobile theft and supplying stolen devices to cyber fraudsters. The arrested suspects are currently being interrogated to identify other members of the network and determine the extent of their criminal activities.
About the author – Rehan Khan is a law student and legal journalist with a keen interest in cybercrime, digital fraud, and emerging technology laws. He writes on the intersection of law, cybersecurity, and online safety, focusing on developments that impact individuals and institutions in India.
