31 cases, 138 bank accounts, 3% commission… Exposure of a racket that scammed millions through ‘digital arrest’.

Mumbai Police has uncovered a cyber fraud gang that was extorting money from people through “digital arrest.” Police exposed this gang’s multi-crore operation and arrested six accused from Gujarat. These accused would pose as officials from central agencies to threaten elderly people and businessmen. They targeted hundreds of people across the country.

Police investigation revealed that this gang was in direct contact with masterminds based in China and Cambodia. The main accused received instructions from abroad regarding bank accounts and money transfers. This network operated in such an organized manner that the fraud money was circulated through 138 bank accounts before being converted into cryptocurrency and US dollars. This method prevented the money trail from being traced.

The entire racket came to light when a senior citizen filed a complaint at a police station. He reported that some individuals, posing as government officials, placed him under digital arrest through audio and video calls. They then intimidated him into paying 70 lakh rupees. Police registered a case and began investigation, which led them to Gujarat.

Mumbai Police teams conducted raids in Mehsana and Ahmedabad, arresting six accused. The accused have been identified as Sureshkumar Maganlal Patel (51), Musran Iqbalbhai Kumbhar (30), Chirag Mahesh Chaudhary (29), Ankit Kumar Maheshbhai Shah (40), Vasudev alias Vivan Valjibhai Barot (27), and Yuvaraj alias Marco alias Lakshman Singh Sikarwar (34).

According to police, the gang’s leader was Yuvaraj, who was in direct contact with international accused. He had been involved in cyber fraud for the past three years, receiving a 3% commission on each fraud. He also ensnared local businessmen who maintained current accounts in banks, using their accounts to transfer fraud money in exchange for a small commission.

The investigation also revealed that this gang was involved in a high-profile digital fraud case where a 72-year-old businessman and his wife were kept under “digital arrest” for two months and extorted of 58 crore rupees. The accused continuously posed as CBI, ED, and NIA officers to threaten the businessman. They even claimed that the businessman’s name had appeared in the investigation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

Digital data recovered from this gang also indicated that the accused have committed fraud in at least 31 cases across the country. These cases are registered in Mumbai, Bangalore, Bhopal, Agra, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Telangana, Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana, Kerala, and West Bengal. During Mumbai Police’s investigation, 15 bank accounts have been seized so far and approximately 10.5 lakh rupees have been frozen.

Initial investigation also revealed that masterminds based abroad would send APK files to victims. As soon as these files were downloaded, the cyber fraudsters gained complete control over the victim’s phone. They used the victim’s personal information and device access to create mental pressure for extortion. The Maharashtra Police Cyber Cell has now taken over the investigation.