Police have arrested 13 members of an interstate cyber fraud gang allegedly involved in cheating people across the country through APK files and investment schemes. Among those arrested is Mohammad Daniyal, son of former Bareilly deputy jailor Zulfeqar Ali. Police said the gang had allegedly been carrying out cyber fraud for around four years and had cheated people of more than ₹10 crore during this period. Cash amounting to ₹26,000, laptops, SIM cards and two cars were recovered from the accused. The alleged gang leader remains absconding.
According to police, the arrested accused are linked to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. They have been identified as Srinivas Lu, Vivid Pateria, Divyam Kumar, Arman Shah, Satendra Kumar, Rajkumar, Manjeet Singh alias Nanhe, Shivam Vishwas, Mohammad Daniyal, Dalveer Chauhan, Azam, Sumit and Mahendra Singh.
Proposal for Conducting Cyber Crisis Drill, Tabletop Exercise (TTEx) & CCMP Readiness Exercise
How Did the Gang Operate?
The investigation has revealed that members of the gang allegedly did not stay in one city for long. Police said they would establish a temporary base in a city for around a month and use local contacts to obtain mule bank accounts. These accounts were allegedly used to receive money obtained through cyber fraud before the funds were transferred to other bank accounts.
Police said the accused did not make fraud calls while sitting inside the houses or hotels where they stayed. Whenever they needed to carry out fraudulent activities, they allegedly travelled in cars and operated from the road using mobile phones and other devices. Investigators suspect that this method was intended to make it more difficult to trace their actual location and evade police surveillance.
A major part of the alleged operation involved APK files and investment schemes. The accused allegedly sent links or files to potential victims and persuaded them to invest money. Once the fraud proceeds reached different mule accounts, the money was allegedly transferred through multiple bank accounts, making it more difficult to identify its original source and the eventual beneficiaries.
How Were 13 Accused Arrested?
Police said the gang had arrived in Moradabad to establish another temporary base when investigators received information about their activities. The Civil Lines police subsequently began checking vehicles near Sonakpur bridge. The suspects were stopped while travelling in two cars, and 13 people were arrested following questioning and verification.
How Were Mule Accounts Used?
The investigation has also revealed, according to police, that the accused had routed cyber fraud proceeds through more than 5,000 mule bank accounts so far. The money was allegedly moved from these accounts to other bank accounts. Investigators are now examining the banking activity of these accounts and identifying the people associated with them to determine their alleged role in the network.
Police further said the gang was in contact with cyber fraud operators based in Dubai and other Gulf countries. The alleged overseas associates were reportedly dependent on the network in India to facilitate the movement of money through mule accounts. Investigators are examining the identities and roles of the suspected overseas operators and the manner in which they allegedly coordinated with the arrested members.
What Are Police Investigating?
The police investigation is now focused on the laptops, SIM cards and other digital devices recovered from the accused, along with the financial transactions linked to the mule accounts. Investigators are attempting to identify additional members of the alleged network, people who supplied mule accounts and suspected associates operating from abroad.
The large number of mule accounts is also being examined to determine whether the network was connected to other cyber fraud cases registered in different parts of the country. Police are expected to analyse transaction records and digital evidence to establish the extent of the alleged operation and trace the flow of funds.
Police said the investigation is continuing and the search for the alleged gang leader, who remains absconding, is underway. Further action will depend on the evidence gathered during the investigation. The allegations against the arrested individuals are subject to the outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings.
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