The Thane Police of Maharashtra have made a significant breakthrough in cyber crime by arresting seven individuals in Goa. This gang enticed unemployed youth by promising jobs, opening bank accounts in their names, which were then used in cyber frauds and online gaming scams.
Cases have been filed against all suspects under Section 318(4) of the Indian Penal Code and various sections of the Information Technology Act.
Police Inspector Atul Adurkar confirmed the identities of the arrested as Anand Ashok Meghwani (34, Madhya Pradesh), Saurabh Sharma (40, Chhattisgarh), Bhola Pradeep Yadav (21), Lalchand Mukhiya (25), Gaurav Yadav (25), Rohit Yadav (21), and Rajkumar Yadav (21), all from Bihar.
Among their possessions, the police recovered 2 laptops, 30 mobile phones, passbooks, ATM cards, and a batch of SIM cards belonging to 11 people.
The investigation began when a person reported that a bank account was illicitly opened in their name, and the associated SIM card was used for cyber fraud. The accused had promised him a job, keeping his passbook, ATM card, and SIM with them.
All these items were subsequently sent to Goa, where they facilitated illegal transactions and online fraud.
When the promised job never materialized, the victim questioned the bank, unveiling the entire scheme. The investigation uncovered that the gang had deceived nearly 80 unemployed individuals. They were lured by small financial incentives to open accounts, which were then misused for fraudulent activities.
Acting on a tip-off, the police raided a hotel in South Goa and detained all seven suspects on the spot.
Police officials explained that this gang used to pay unemployed individuals INR 5,000 to open accounts in their names. Agents would gather complete kits of passbooks, ATM cards, and SIM cards, which were then exploited in cyber crimes and online gaming frauds.
To evade arrest, the gang regularly changed their hideout every 15 days. Interrogation of the seven arrested individuals is ongoing while they remain in police custody.
(Photo: Representational)
