Noida cyber cops nab six of ‘digital arrest’ gang from Rajasthan

PTI, Jul 15, 2024, 8:55 AM IST

Noida: Cyber crime unit of Noida Police have arrested six members of a gang involved in “digital arrests” and other fraudulent activities, including drug trafficking, illegal passport creation, and money laundering, from Rajasthan, officials said on Sunday.

The gang’s activities were traced to 73 complaints registered across multiple states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra, Punjab, and others, they said.

Digital house arrest is a tactic where cybercriminals confine victims to their homes in order to scam them. Offenders generate fear by making audio or video calls, frequently posing as law enforcement officers using AI-generated voices or videos.

The cybercriminals were apprehended from the Losal area in Sikar district, Rajasthan, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cyber) Vivek Ranjan Rai said.

“The gang operated by ‘digitally arresting’ gullible people and scaring them into believing they were involved in international criminal activities,” Rai said.

“Investigations are ongoing, and relevant authorities in other states are being notified,” the officer said.

Police said the arrested individuals have been identified as Kishan, Lakhan, Mahendra, Sanjay Sharma, Praveen Jagind, and Shambhu Dayal.

According to police, on May 9-10, the gang duped a complainant of Rs 52.50 lakh by convincing him that his identity was being used to send a parcel abroad containing illegal drugs, passports, and credit cards.

The gang posed as officials from the Mumbai crime branch and other agencies, claiming to investigate money laundering, police said.

Their modus operandi included using third-party bank accounts, making phone and WhatsApp calls, and sending fake IDs to convince victims of their authority.

“The suspects would tell the account holders that their parcels containing illegal items were caught by customs in Mumbai, and the investigation was confidential, deterring them from discussing it with anyone,” the police said in a statement.

“The suspects then transferred the victims’ money into fraudulent accounts, later cashing it out and splitting it among themselves. They also played police sirens in the background and sent fake IDs to make the ‘digital arrest’ seem real,” police said.

The accused, all hailing from various parts of Rajasthan, were involved in crimes across different states, making it a widespread cybercrime network, they said.