The Cyber Crime Police in Azamgarh have uncovered an international gang involved in online financial frauds amounting to ₹110 crore. The gang lured victims with promises of investment profits and government scheme benefits. Acting on a complaint from a man who lost ₹8 lakh, police traced the operation and arrested 15 people. During the raid, police seized 23 mobile phones, 15 SIM cards, 14 ATM cards, and two cars. Investigations revealed that the network operated across several Indian states and maintained global links.
Gang Used APK Files to Hack Mobile Phones
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Vivek Tripathi said the gang members lured individuals via the Instagram ID Accountwala 9334, offering lucrative commissions in exchange for access to their bank accounts and SIM cards. Once contact was established, they sent malicious APK files disguised as PM Kisan or E-Challan apps. As soon as the victims downloaded the files, their phones were hacked and their bank accounts emptied.
Raids Conducted at Two Hotels; 13 More Arrested
Following the initial arrest of Parvez Ansari and Mohammad Kaleem, the police obtained crucial leads about the wider network. On Monday, two hotels near Husadiya Crossing were raided, leading to the arrest of 13 more suspects, including Monu Chaurasia, Sultan Ansari, and Brijesh Kumar. In total, 15 accused are now in custody.
Links Across Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Delhi
The arrested individuals hail from multiple states including Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. The prime accused, Imran Ali alias Samad, is a resident of Rampur. According to police, the gang operated in a structured manner — some members developed the APK malware, others arranged bank accounts, while a few withdrew money from ATMs in different states to evade detection.
186 Complaints Found on NCRP Portal
ASP Tripathi confirmed that the forensic analysis of the seized mobile phones revealed data from 121 bank accounts, of which 31 were flagged as suspicious. The gang is linked to 186 complaints filed on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP). Several of these cases originated from Nainital, Rudrapur, and Andhra Pradesh. To avoid local police tracking, members often withdrew cash from ATMs located in other states.
Police Recover Electronic Evidence and Vehicles
During the operation, the police recovered 23 mobile phones, 15 SIM cards, 14 ATM cards, and two unregistered vehicles used in the fraud. All the accused have reportedly confessed to their crimes during interrogation. Police are now investigating the gang’s international connections and tracing the digital trail of the illicit transactions.
