Gurugram Cyber Crime Police have uncovered another major network in the ₹2.65 crore investment fraud involving a retired Air Marshal, arresting six accused allegedly linked to a Dubai-based cybercrime syndicate. Investigators believe the network used mule bank accounts across India to receive and transfer money obtained through cyber fraud. The accused were arrested during operations in Ghaziabad, Delhi and Bahadurgarh, where police also seized a large quantity of digital devices and banking instruments.
According to police, the case relates to an alleged investment fraud in which retired Air Marshal T.S. Chatwal was duped of ₹2.65 crore in January 2025. During the investigation, officers traced ₹6 lakh of the defrauded amount to a joint account with Indian Overseas Bank. Based on the account details, police arrested Sonu Chaudhary from Ghaziabad.
During interrogation, Sonu allegedly disclosed that he had provided his bank account to an aggregator identified as Puneet, a resident of Bahadurgarh. Acting on this information, police conducted a raid in Omaxe City, Bahadurgarh, on July 19 and arrested Puneet, Abhishek, Vikas and Dushyant. Investigators further alleged that Puneet collected bank accounts on the instructions of a Delhi-based individual identified as Samrat and supplied them to cyber fraudsters.
During the raid, police recovered three laptops, 16 mobile phones, 90 ATM cards, 42 cheque books, 33 SIM cards, multiple rubber stamps and a passport. According to investigators, the passport contained four immigration stamps showing visits to Dubai between 2023 and 2026. Puneet allegedly told investigators that he had travelled to Dubai to meet a handler identified as “Rudra” and, along with Samrat, arranged bank accounts that were later supplied to cybercriminals.
Police also found that the seized bank accounts were linked to multiple cybercrime complaints registered across India, including six cases in Rajasthan, two in Telangana and two each in Jharkhand, Kerala and Karnataka. Investigators are now conducting forensic examinations of the SIM cards, bank accounts, digital devices and financial transactions to identify other members of the network and determine the total amount allegedly routed through the operation.
According to the Future Crime Research Foundation, mule bank accounts have become a critical component of organised cybercrime. Criminals use such accounts to rapidly move funds obtained through investment scams, digital arrest frauds, trading scams and other online financial crimes, making it difficult for investigators to trace the ultimate beneficiaries. Experts say continuous monitoring of bank accounts, digital forensics, financial intelligence analysis and inter-state coordination are essential to dismantle such networks.
Renowned cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh has advised citizens never to provide their bank accounts, ATM cards, cheque books, SIM cards or internet banking credentials to anyone in exchange for commission or rental payments. He warned that allowing others to use personal bank accounts could expose account holders to criminal investigations involving cyber fraud and money laundering. He also urged people to immediately report any suspected cybercrime to the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, as prompt reporting significantly improves the chances of freezing fraudulent transactions and assisting victims in recovering their losses.
