Guwahati Police Dismantle Cyber Fraud Network, Seize 31 Mobile Phones, 36 ATM Cards

In a major breakthrough in the ongoing investigation into a cyber fraud syndicate, a police team from Gorchuk Police Station in Guwahati city, led by Inspector Mayurjit Gogoi, raided a lodge at Boragaon near Apollo Excelcare Hospital and detained 15 individuals for questioning. 

The raid at Talukdar Hotels & Lodge, Bamunpara Road, Boragaon, led to the discovery of a group of cyber fraudsters who were involved in criminal activities related to the operation of "Mule Bank Accounts." These accounts were being used to transfer money looted by cybercriminals from unsuspecting victims.

The case has been registered under Cyber PS case No. 26/24 U/S- 61/318(4)/316(2)/336(3) BNS 2023.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused persons targeted needy individuals, convincing them to open current or savings bank accounts. They would obtain all related banking documents such as passbooks, ATM cards, and cheque books, promising a handsome profit in return. After collecting these documents, the gang would hand them over to another group involved in cybercrimes. Each account opened in this manner fetched the fraudsters INR 1,00,000, while the account holder received 20% of the total amount transacted.

As per the police reports, the gangs typically do not use their bank accounts for these fraudulent activities to avoid detection by law enforcement agencies. Instead, they recruit agents to open bank accounts in the names of unsuspecting, often illiterate, individuals, usually from economically weaker sections of society. "These agents then provide fake mobile numbers and SIM cards to link to the bank accounts. Once the accounts were opened, the cybercriminals activated the ATM cards using mobile banking, and the accounts were used for illicit transactions, with the agents receiving INR 1,00,000 per account," the city police stated in a statement.

It also mentioned that the original account holders were unaware that their accounts were being used for cybercrime, as the bank notifications were sent to the agents' mobile numbers. As a result, the police often faces difficulties in tracing the cybercriminals, since the account holders are unaware of the operations carried out in their names. However, these account holders may still face legal consequences for unknowingly allowing their accounts to be used in cybercrime. These types of accounts, used for facilitating criminal activities, are referred to as "Mule Accounts."

As the investigation progressed, eight accused individuals were arrested, and four of them were remanded to police custody for further questioning. The arrested suspects include Shah Alam (29), Azizul Hoque (25), Alamin Khan (25), Rubul Hussain Khan (37), Kaji Saddam Hussain (32), Abdul Kalam (31), Azim Uddin Ali (37), and Hasan Ali (36). The police have also served notices under Section 35 (3) of the BNSS 2023 to seven other suspected individuals, who are expected to appear before the investigating officer as required.

During the raid, police recovered a significant amount of evidence, including 31 mobile handsets, four hard disks, a laptop, various tools such as screwdrivers and wrenches, 36 ATM cards from different banks, five vehicles, 21 cheque books, hotel registers, and several stamps. The seized items are expected to provide crucial information to help in the ongoing investigation.

Further interrogation of the arrested suspects revealed their involvement in multiple cybercrime activities, including hacking and fraud schemes that primarily targeted innocent individuals across the country. These fraudsters also used online gaming platforms to perpetrate their crimes. "They lured victims under the pretext of offering commissions on deposited amounts, without revealing the true origin of the funds," the police statement added.

The criminal operation extended beyond the local region, with the suspects reportedly travelling to Guwahati to solicit current account details from unsuspecting individuals. The city police are continuing to investigate the full scope of this criminal network and are working to apprehend any other individuals involved in these fraudulent activities.