In a major breakthrough, Chandaka Police in Bhubaneswar have arrested five members of a cybercrime gang involved in a ₹20 crore online fraud. The arrests were made on Sunday after a kidnapping complaint unexpectedly exposed the gang’s network.
The mastermind, identified as Sameer Kumar Bubhe, 35, from Nalanda in Bihar, was running the fraud by using mule bank accounts to transfer funds illegally. The other four accused, all from the same family in Sangharsavihar under Chandaka police limits, were identified as Bhagaban Sahu, 21, Chiranjib Raut, 21, Amritarani Raut, 50, and Akanksha Raut, 21. Police seized three mobile phones and a car from the group.
Investigations revealed that the operation began in February 2025 when the four Bhubaneswar-based accused met Sameer in Prayagraj. He instructed them to open mule accounts in their names, which he later used for fraudulent transactions. In return, they received a share of the funds. Since May, over ₹20 crore was routed through these accounts, drawing attention from banks that issued warnings to the account holders.
The case took a dramatic turn when the family lured Sameer to Bhubaneswar under the guise of opening more accounts but allegedly kidnapped him, demanding ₹25 lakh at knifepoint. Sameer managed to contact an associate after two days, convincing his captors to let him visit a hotel, from where he filed a kidnapping complaint.
Led by Officer Samita Mishra, Chandaka Police uncovered that Sameer was a professional cybercriminal using online apps to defraud victims and channel money through mule accounts. Interrogation of the other four accused revealed the scale of the operation. All five have now been arrested, produced in court, and will be taken on remand for further investigation into possible links with a wider cybercrime network, according to Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena.
The case has once again highlighted the increasing threat of cyber fraud and the sophisticated tactics employed by organised gangs to exploit digital banking systems. Police have intensified efforts to trace additional associates and curb financial crime in the region.
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