Mega police operation to curb cybercrime in Daspara and Hospital Road of Barakar: Combing operation under the leadership of ACP Javed Hossain, numerous documents recovered
Barakar:
Allegations have been mounting for a long time that a strong network of cybercrime was active in the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate area of the industrial belt. To uproot this criminal syndicate that was looting the hard-earned money of common people, the administration has now taken extremely strict and stringent measures. Based on highly sensitive and specific intelligence received from secret sources early Saturday morning, the police conducted a massive joint cyber-suppression operation in the densely populated Daspara and adjacent Hospital Road areas under the Barakar Outpost jurisdiction. Conducted under the direct observation and leadership of Assistant Commissioner of Police (Kulti) Javed Hossain of the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate, the operation saw participation from a large police force, Rapid Action Force (RAF), and a special technical team from the Cyber Crime Police Station.
According to police and local sources, for the past few months, the lifestyle, luxurious movements, and abnormal financial growth of several local youths in the Daspara and Hospital Road areas had aroused intense suspicion among local residents. Intelligence inputs suggested that these youths, in direct connivance with international and inter-state cybercriminals, used to target gullible people. Posing as bank officials or telecom employees, they would extort OTPs over phone calls, lure people with fake lotteries, trap them with lucrative fraudulent online loan apps, and ruin them by offering easy part-time jobs from home. The massive amounts of money extorted through fraud were immediately diverted to multiple fake or 'mule' bank accounts, most of which were opened by forging documents in other people's names.
After thoroughly verifying the veracity of this information, the police force suddenly cordoned off the entire area early Saturday morning. A sweeping combing operation was launched simultaneously in every suspicious lane, residential complex, and house in the area. Taken aback by this sudden raid, members of the criminal syndicate were left stunned.
During the operation, police officials entered the suspects' houses and meticulously examined various sophisticated electronic gadgets, laptops, and documents. The extensive search led to the seizure of several high-performance smartphones, a large number of pre-activated SIM cards collected using fake identities, numerous passbooks and checkbooks of various public and private sector banks, and multiple debit and credit cards. It is suspected that these fake documents were being used so that the criminals could evade easy capture. The special cybercrime team initiated preliminary work on the spot to check IP addresses, Call Detail Records (CDR), and suspicious transaction histories of the devices.
Such an unprecedented and sudden police raid cordoning off the entire area early in the morning created widespread sensation and intense panic in the Daspara and Hospital Road areas of Barakar. As morning broke, local residents woke up to find the area swarming with police. Crowds of curious onlookers gathered outside their homes. Local residents were stunned and angered to learn how such a massive cyber fraud syndicate had managed to build its empire right under the nose of the administration day after day in this peaceful and densely populated residential area.
Addressing the media regarding this successful and sensational operation, ACP (Kulti) Javed Hossain clearly stated that cybercriminals will not be shown even the slightest leniency. Under no circumstances will this township in the industrial belt be allowed to become a 'safe zone' or safe haven for any criminal syndicate. Emphasizing further, he stated that how far the roots of this criminal network extend and whether there is any inter-state gang or international nexus behind this syndicate is being investigated deeply and cautiously. Based on the digital forensic examination of all seized documents and digital devices, several more individuals may be summoned for questioning in the coming days, and the kingpins of this syndicate will soon be brought under the purview of law to ensure strict punishment.
