In a significant breakthrough, police in Muzaffarpur have dismantled an international cybercrime syndicate accused of stealing and selling sensitive personal data of Indian citizens to foreign criminals.
The operation, carried out on April 21 following inputs from a central agency, led to the arrest of 4 key accused from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Those arrested have been identified as Rishabh Kumar from Muzaffarpur, Deepak Chaudhary alias Ashu Kumar from Ghazipur, Sudhanshu Kumar from Darbhanga, and Sahil Kumar from Muzaffarpur. Police said each individual handled a specific role within the organised network.
Senior superintendent of police Kantesh Kumar Mishra said, “The inputs suggested that Rishabh Kumar was operating an illegal data exchange centre from his house. Given the seriousness of the crime and the international linkages, a special team comprising officers of the cyber police station, district intelligence unit (DIU) and Bihar STF was constituted.”
The team, led by city SP Mohibullah Ansari and cyber DSP Himanshu Kumar, conducted raids and arrested the accused. Further arrests were made based on interrogation findings.
According to police, the syndicate used illegal application programming interfaces (APIs) to gain unauthorised access to government and private databases. Using OSINT tools, fake SIM cards and Telegram bots, they collected highly sensitive data such as mobile numbers, IMEI details, Aadhaar and PAN information, vehicle registration records, and bank account details.
The data was then sold to foreign cybercriminals, mainly operating from Bangladesh and other countries. Payments were made through cryptocurrency or fake bank accounts. Authorities have frozen around Rs 4 lakh linked to the accused.
Several mobile phones and iPads were seized, with initial analysis revealing chats with foreign cyber gangs. The group reportedly used encrypted Telegram channels to avoid detection.
The SSP added, “Three more members of the gang have been identified and raids are underway to arrest them. All seized electronic devices are being sent for detailed digital forensic examination to gather further technical evidence and trace the money trail.”
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