Cops bust cyber mule handlers with links to criminals in China, Cambodia, Dubai

CRACKING DOWN on an organised cyber crime network, Pimpri Chinchwad police’s cyber crime police station has uncovered a gang of cyber mules and their handlers linked to international masterminds operating out of China, Cambodia, and Dubai. In a four-day multi-location operation from Dharashiv in Maharashtra to Jaipur in Rajasthan, four suspects working at different levels of the syndicate were arrested.

A team from the cyber crime police station was investigating a case in which a senior citizen was duped to the tune of Rs 71 lakh earlier this year. The victim was manipulated into downloading a fraudulent share trading application and the money was funnelled to multiple mule accounts. Investigators found that Rs 50 lakh was transferred to a particular commercial bank account registered in Dharashiv (earlier Osmanabad). The police zeroed in on the account holder identified as Alfahad Arid Momin (27), who works at a metal fabrication shop. Momin’s questioning revealed he had given access of the account to a person identified as Ajay Patil alias Shivprasad Mallikarjun Khudase (39), a resident of Latur, a marketing executive.

Questioning of Khudase exposed the racket further and investigators got to know about a cyber operative Rahulsingh Nirmalsingh Karnawat (25), a resident of Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, who is a commerce graduate. Karnavat was arrested from Jaipur. His questioning led the investigation to a suspect identified as Premshankar Baldev Bairagi, of Bhilwara in Rajasthan. Bairagi too was subsequently arrested. All the four arrests were over a period from May 14 to 18.

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“Investigation has revealed Khudase used to look for and recruit mule account holders and hand over the full access kits of the accounts to Karnavat. Karnavat and Bairagi have been operating in India for international cyber criminals from China, Cambodia and Dubai,” said an officer.

The probe was led by DCP (Crime) Swapna Gore and ACP Vishal Hire and the investigation team comprised Inspector Ravikiran Nale, Assistant Inspector Praveen Swami and Sub inspectors Sagar Poman, Vaibhav Patil, Prakash Katkade and the constabulary staff.