Bankura district police have busted a massive pan-India cyber fraud racket involving Rs 72 crore. The key 7 masterminds of this international and interstate cybercrime syndicate have been arrested from the Junglemahal area of Bankura. A huge quantity of incriminating materials has been recovered from the accused, pointing to a well-organised cyber fraud network.
Recently, the National Cyber Crime Portal identified Bankura district as one of the 'hotspots' for cybercrime. Central investigators found that crores of rupees embezzled through cyber frauds committed in various parts of the country were being transacted through various ATM counters and bank accounts in Bankura. As soon as this information and warning were shared with the Bankura district police, the administration sprang into action.
Under the directives of Bankura District Superintendent of Police, PVG Satish, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed and a combing operation was launched. A joint operation by the district's cyber cell and local police revealed that the roots of this syndicate had spread deep into various areas of the Ranibandh and Hirbandh blocks in Junglemahal. Based on specific inputs, the police arrested 4 residents from various villages in the Ranibandh block, 2 from the Hirbandh block, and 1 resident from the Balasore district of Odisha.
Interrogation and raids led to the recovery of 34 bank passbooks, 13 ATM cards, 9 cheque books, 14 fake identity cards (Aadhaar, PAN, voter, and driving licences), 8 mobile phones, 1 tablet, 42 SIM cards, 3 UPI scanners, and 15 flash stamps or seals from the possession of the accused. Preliminary investigation suggests that this massive quantity of bank accounts and digital equipment was used to channel huge sums of money, duped from ordinary people, back and forth through various fake accounts.
Currently, the investigators have taken the accused into custody for questioning. The police are investigating whether any other major gang from the country or influential persons from other states are connected to this syndicate. This incident of using a peaceful area like Junglemahal as a safe haven for cybercrime has caused a significant stir in the locality. The police have stated that this fight against cybercrime will be intensified in the coming days.
