Patna Police have arrested 10 suspected members of an interstate cyber fraud network accused of using bank accounts opened with fraudulent documents to receive and withdraw money obtained through online scams. Investigators recovered a large number of ATM cards, passbooks, cheque books and mobile phones during raids at several locations in the city.
How Did Police Bust the Gang?
Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of the Cyber Crime and Security Unit and Patna Cyber Police Station raided two rented flats on the third floor of a building on Sheetalanagar Canal Road under the Agamkuan police station area.
The flats had allegedly been rented by Kuldeep Singh, one of the accused. Police arrested nine people during the operation and recovered several ATM cards, cheque books, passbooks, SIM cards and identity documents issued in other people’s names.
A subsequent investigation led police to another suspect, Mohammad Majeed, bringing the total number of arrests to 10.
How Did the Fraud Network Operate?
According to the FIR, the accused persuaded people to open bank accounts and collected their banking documents, including ATM cards and passbooks.
These accounts were allegedly used to receive money obtained through cyber fraud. Once the funds were deposited, gang members withdrew them through ATMs, UPI transactions and cheques.
Police suspect that the network operated across state boundaries, with individuals involved in arranging accounts, collecting banking credentials and withdrawing fraudulent proceeds.
During questioning, accused Rahul Kumar allegedly told investigators that he was in contact with Zubair, Altafa and other associates based in Jamtara, Jharkhand.
Investigators are examining these connections to establish the wider network’s involvement.
What Did Police Recover During the Raids?
Police subsequently searched Rahul Kumar’s residence in the Malsalami area and recovered six keypad mobile phones, four Android smartphones, a laptop, 30 ATM cards, 36 cheque books and 49 passbooks.
In the wider investigation, police reported recovering 89 ATM cards, 82 cheque books, 76 passbooks, 47 mobile phones, 17 Aadhaar cards, nine PAN cards and a laptop.
Investigators also recovered ₹1.86 lakh in cash and other documents suspected to have been used in fraudulent banking activities.
Police believe the large collection of banking documents indicates that the accused were handling multiple accounts linked to suspicious financial transactions.
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How Was the Fraud Money Withdrawn?
Investigators found that the accused allegedly used different methods to withdraw money from accounts receiving fraudulent proceeds.
Police said approximately 60 to 70 per cent of the money was withdrawn in cash, while another 10 to 20 per cent was transferred through online shopping and other payment transactions.
The remaining amount was allegedly withdrawn through ATM transactions and other channels.
According to investigators, the gang used different accounts to move money, making it difficult to immediately identify the people controlling the funds.
What Did CCTV Footage Reveal?
During the investigation, police examined CCTV footage from ATMs in different parts of Patna.
The footage reportedly showed individuals withdrawing money from several ATM locations. Investigators compared these recordings with other evidence to identify suspects involved in the transactions.
Police also received information through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal concerning complaints associated with different bank accounts. These included 341 complaints linked to Union Bank of India, five associated with Canara Bank and four connected with State Bank of India.
The complaints provided investigators with additional leads regarding accounts suspected of receiving money from cyber fraud victims.
Was Fake Aadhaar Documentation Involved?
Police also arrested Mohammad Majeed, a former cyber cafe operator who was working as a Customer Service Point operator in Patna.
Investigators alleged that Majeed prepared fraudulent residential certificates and other documents to facilitate changes to Aadhaar addresses.
Police suspect that these documents were used to help individuals obtain or modify identity records required for opening bank accounts.
Investigators also received information suggesting that some individuals’ Aadhaar details were being used to register false Patna addresses.
According to the allegations, ₹500 was charged for changing an address, while ₹300 was collected for registering a mobile number. Police are examining the role of fraudulent identity documents in the operation of the suspected cyber fraud network.
Who Are the Arrested Accused?
The arrested suspects have been identified as Rahul Kumar, Kuldeep Singh, Raju Kumar, Kanhaiya Kumar, Shishupal Singh, Vishnu Kumar, Rahul Halda, Dhanraj Kumar, Shadik Alam and Mohammad Majeed.
Police are investigating the connections between the arrested individuals, the bank accounts recovered during the raids and associates allegedly operating from Jharkhand.
The recovery of banking documents belonging to multiple individuals has raised questions about how the accounts were opened, who controlled them and how the suspected fraudulent proceeds were distributed.
The420 Insight
The Patna investigation highlights the role of bank accounts opened or operated using other people’s identity documents in facilitating cyber fraud. The recovery of ATM cards, passbooks and cheque books, alongside complaints linked to multiple banks, shows why tracing account ownership and withdrawal records is central to identifying the people behind such operations.
The allegations involving fraudulent Aadhaar address changes also underline the importance of verifying identity documents during bank account onboarding and examining suspicious account activity.
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