Jodhpur: The cybercrime unit of Jodhpur police has uncovered an interstate ATM withdrawal racket linked to an alleged cyber fraud worth nearly Rs 5 crore, detaining three suspects during an operation based on prior surveillance.
The accused, identified as Dhanraj Bishnoi, 21, Bhajanlal Bishnoi, 26, and Akshay Rajpurohit, 22, were apprehended while allegedly withdrawing cash from multiple ATMs under suspicious circumstances. Police officials said the trio attempted to flee but were chased and detained during the operation.
Network of Fraudulent Accounts and Rapid Withdrawals
According to investigators, the suspects were operating from a rented room and used multiple bank accounts obtained through fraudulent means. Inspector Suresh Saran said the accused procured accounts from different states across India using fake identities via Telegram.
Parcels containing ATM cards and related documents were delivered to them under assumed names. The group would withdraw cash almost immediately after defrauded money was credited, typically within 30 to 60 minutes, in an apparent attempt to avoid detection or account freezing following cyber complaints.
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Seizures Point to Organized Operation
A search of the premises led to the seizure of 95 debit cards, 30 SIM cards, 18 bank passbooks, nine courier parcels under different names, and 11 mobile phones. Preliminary findings suggest that the debit cards were linked to fraudulent bank accounts used to park money obtained through cyber scams.
Police officials said the scale of the materials recovered indicates a structured and coordinated operation spanning multiple states.
Use of Cryptocurrency to Obscure Money Trail
Investigators said the withdrawn cash was converted into USDT, a cryptocurrency, or other virtual currencies at a premium. This process, they said, enabled the accused to obscure the money trail while generating additional profits.
A case has been registered at the cyber police station, and further investigation is underway.
