Mangaluru Police Dismantle Inter-State Cyber Fraud Ring, Six Arrested
Mangaluru: In a significant breakthrough, the Cyber, Economic, and Narcotics (CEN) Police Station of Mangaluru has successfully apprehended six individuals implicated in a sophisticated inter-state cyber fraud operation. The arrests follow an investigation into the alleged misuse of a complainant’s bank account for illicit transactions.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Sheikh Karimulla (also known as Rasool), 27, and Utpala Santosh Krishna, 35, both from Nellore, Andhra Pradesh; Budidenne Vamshi (also known as Guru), 21, from Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh; Panditi Kranthi Kumar, 36, and Bude Srinivas, 38, both from Telangana; and Ibrahim, 35, a resident of Mulki.
Preliminary investigations reveal a modus operandi involving the dissemination of advertisements on various social media platforms. These advertisements purportedly offered commissions ranging from 4 to 6 percent to individuals willing to provide access to their bank accounts. Responding individuals were allegedly coerced into divulging One-Time Passwords (OTPs), which were then relayed to accomplices operating from foreign locations. Subsequently, these international cyber criminals illicitly transferred funds from the compromised accounts.
The operation leading to the arrests was initiated following a formal complaint lodged by Mohammed Iqbal, a resident of Mangaluru. Acting on this complaint, the Mangaluru CEN police launched a meticulous investigation, culminating in the apprehension of the aforementioned individuals.
During the raid, law enforcement authorities confiscated a substantial cache of material evidence, including 18 mobile phones, 12 SIM cards, one laptop computer, 15 cheque books, 18 debit cards, and 12 bank passbooks. The seized items are currently undergoing forensic analysis to ascertain the full extent of the cyber fraud network and identify any additional individuals involved.
Authorities indicated that further investigation is underway to uncover the intricacies of the operation, trace the flow of illicit funds, and bring all those complicit to justice.