Police in the Basti district of Uttar Pradesh have carried out a major crackdown on cyber enabled financial crime by breaking up a network responsible for more than four crore forty nine lakh rupees worth of online fraud. The joint operation was led by Kotwali police, Lalganj police, and the district Cyber Cell. Six people linked to the well known Mewat based cyber crime network have been arrested.
The group is accused of targeting people in rural areas and convincing them to open bank accounts by offering government benefits or high returns through investment and trading platforms. These bank accounts were then used as mule accounts to move and withdraw fraudulent money generated by remote cyber criminals.
Deputy Inspector General said the accused travelled from village to village promising free bank accounts, government subsidies, or large trading profits. They kept the ATM cards, cheque books, SIM cards, and passbooks of the account holders and controlled the accounts completely. When villagers questioned them or asked for their documents, the gang allegedly threatened them.
Officials said the arrests were made through coordinated operations after detailed digital surveillance and field intelligence. Three suspects were detained near Mathauli Chhath Pokhara at eight ten in the morning. Three more were arrested from the Basti Roadways Bus Station at nine in the morning. The accused have been named as Sujit Chaudhary, Nipendra Chaudhary, and Ramnath Chauhan from the Lalganj region, and Ashwini Pathak, Nikhil Tripathi, and Prashant Mishra from the Kotwali and Harraiya areas.
A preliminary audit by the Cyber Cell found that thirty eight bank accounts were being misused and were linked to more than seventy four cyber fraud cases across several states. The total fraud amount crossed four crore forty nine lakh sixty one thousand rupees. Money taken from victims was routed through these accounts and later withdrawn or moved through several transfers to avoid detection.
Police seized three mobile phones, a bank passbook, and six hundred and fifty rupees in cash during the raids. Although the cash recovered was small, officials said the digital evidence on the devices will be important in tracing the masterminds believed to be operating from Mewat, which is known for organised cyber crime.
Authorities said this operation is significant because it disrupts a growing mule account network in the state, exposes the reach of cyber criminals into vulnerable rural communities, and reveals local support systems that enable large scale fraud. Officials have also warned that unemployed youth are being drawn into such activities with promises of easy money.
DIG Tyagi said that “such networks pose a national cyber security threat far beyond local financial crime. Further arrests are expected soon.”
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter
About us:
The Mainstream is a premier platform delivering the latest updates and informed perspectives across the technology business and cyber landscape. Built on research-driven, thought leadership and original intellectual property, The Mainstream also curates summits & conferences that convene decision makers to explore how technology reshapes industries and leadership. With a growing presence in India and globally across the Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, the USA, the UK and Australia, The Mainstream carries a vision to bring the latest happenings and insights to 8.2 billion people and to place technology at the centre of conversation for leaders navigating the future.
