The Uttar Pradesh Police have dismantled a major interstate and international cyber fraud network operating from Rudrapur, Uttarakhand, with strong links to Dubai. The racket, led by Madhotanda resident Manjeet Singh alias Sonu, had been running a fake call centre that defrauded thousands of people through gaming and investment platforms like FairPlay.
The network came to light following the arrest of Amritpal Singh, whose interrogation exposed the gang’s structure. Investigators found that Manjeet Singh had met Amritpal in Dubai in 2024, where he underwent cybercrime training before returning to India and establishing the operation with other associates.
Police Operation Leads to Six Arrests
After learning of Amritpal Singh’s arrest, the gang’s operatives fled Rudrapur and regrouped at Manjeet’s house in Pilibhit district. Acting on intelligence inputs, police raided the location and arrested six suspects, including Vikrant alias Vicky, Kapil, Kunal, Prashant Singh, and two others.
During interrogation, the accused admitted to working with Nepal-based agent Chakra Khadka, who provided bank accounts to channel and disguise fraudulent funds. The gang had placed nearly 50,000 people on its radar, out of which 20,000 victims had already been defrauded of crores of rupees.
In a key breakthrough, police recovered 11,739 user IDs linked to the FairPlay app from mobile phones seized from Vikrant and Khadka. Transactions amounting to over ₹5.54 crore were traced to these accounts.
Nationwide Money Trail Across 10 States
Police investigations have revealed a sprawling financial network with accounts operating in Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
All associated bank accounts have been frozen, and officials are now cross-verifying the related mobile numbers, Aadhaar credentials, and IMEI data.
Circle Officer Dr. Prateek Kumar Dahiya (Puranpur) said the findings point to a highly coordinated, digitally skilled operation. “All identified accounts have been placed on hold. The financial trail is under examination to trace additional suspects,” he confirmed.
Uneducated Youth, Sophisticated Crime
Most members of the busted network were under-educated, with some having failed high school and others possessing only intermediate-level certificates. Despite their limited formal education, they used international training and advanced digital tools to run large-scale scams targeting educated and urban professionals—doctors, lawyers, businessmen, and teachers among them.
Police sources said the accused displayed “a surprising level of operational awareness,” managing client communication, financial routing, and online support portals to lure victims into fraudulent transactions.
Lifestyle, Addiction, and the Road to Cybercrime
Interrogation revealed that drug addiction and the need to fund lavish lifestyles pushed the young accused into cybercrime. Many confessed that maintaining their girlfriends’ expensive tastes and social image led them to Dubai, where they received organized training in digital fraud.
Upon returning, the group established a network handling fake customer service lines and online gaming promotions. The gang generated roughly ₹1.5 crore monthly, out of which ₹20–30 lakh was allegedly transferred to Dubai-based handlers through crypto transactions and offshore accounts.
Links to Delhi and Dubai Kingpins
The arrested operatives were in constant touch with ringleaders operating from Dubai and Delhi, who provided website credentials, access keys, and operational instructions. After Amritpal Singh’s arrest, the Dubai handlers immediately deactivated login credentials to erase digital traces and disrupt further investigation.
The probe began following multiple complaints on the NCR Cyber Portal under Ghungchai Police Station. Initial arrests led to wider exposure of the network’s reach into Nepal and several Indian states. The six accused have now been sent to judicial custody, while efforts are underway to trace the remaining members.
Expanding Web of Global Cybercrime
Investigators believe the racket reflects a wider trend of international cybercrime rings using Indian bases to operate global fraud schemes. Small-town operatives, trained abroad, are executing scams worth crores through digital and financial manipulation.
“This case shows how foreign-based networks exploit young Indian recruits to commit organized cyber fraud,” said CO Dahiya. “We are coordinating with central agencies to trace the masterminds and dismantle the syndicate.”
