Police bust trans-national cybercrime racket in Delhi; 9 held

Police said the nine men were involved in providing bank accounts to cyber fraud operators in lieu of commission-based payments.

“The probe revealed that the accused were part of a highly organised cybercrime syndicate operating through a structured network of bank account holders, middlemen, and end-users who executed channelisation of funds generated through cyber frauds,” Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) DCP Vinit Kumar said.

The IFSO received a tip-off on November 26 that certain persons were operating a cyber fraud gang from a hotel in Dwarka. A team raided the hotel and apprehended Sultan, Sayed, Satish and Tushar.

“They disclosed that they were providing bank accounts for cyber fraud on the instructions of another suspect. They further said that they frequently changed locations to evade law enforcement agencies,” an officer said.

Sultan allegedly told police that he allegedly opened a current account with a private bank on the promise of a 25% commission on fraudulent transactions and was provided a mobile phone to coordinate the operation.

Analysis of one such account allegedly opened by Sultan showed more than 10,400 transactions were carried out between November 21 and 26, involving Rs 5.24 crore, police said.

Based on the questioning of the four, Shivam, Sunil, Parbhu, Tarun, and Suresh were later arrested.

Suresh, police said, was a key operative who functioned as a crucial link between account suppliers and the main cyber fraud kingpin. “He acted as a two-way conduit by providing bank accounts to the cyber fraud kingpin and laundering the proceeds through hawala channels. This involved circular transactions in which money was withdrawn from banking channels and handed over in cash to hawala operators against cryptocurrency (particularly USDT) transactions between cyber fraudsters and hawala agents,” the DCP said.

A search of Suresh’s residence led to the recovery of cheque books, debit cards, bank-related documents, and a notice under Section 35(3) BNSS issued by Bengaluru Police in the name of another accused. Twelve mobile phones containing incriminating chats and communications with members of the syndicate have also been recovered, police said.

“Further raids and investigation, including detailed digital forensic analysis, is underway to uncover the full extent of the cybercrime syndicate and identify associates, including hawala operators and other masterminds, sitting abroad,” the DCP said.

An officer said that they are tracking at least six men who were managing the hawala network for the Dubai-based kingpin.