Bokaro (Jharkhand), July 16 (IANS) The Bokaro district police in Jharkhand have busted a cyber fraud racket and arrested nine persons allegedly involved in operating an interstate online scam network, officials said on Thursday.

According to the police, the accused were living in rented accommodations in Bokaro and targeting people across various states. Preliminary investigations have revealed links to Bihar, while efforts are underway to identify the masterminds running the larger network.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Bokaro Superintendent of Police Nathu Singh Meena said the accused impersonated bank officials or agents of a company called “RM Tour and Travels” to contact potential victims. After gaining their trust, they allegedly obtained banking details through various pretexts and siphoned off money into accounts controlled by the gang.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Samrat Kumar Vinay, Niranja Kumar, Sudama Kumar, Nitish Kumar, Subodh Kumar, Premchand Kumar, Dharmaraj Kumar, Brijesh Kumar, and Ravi Prabhakar.

Among them, Samrat Kumar Vinay is a resident of Bokaro Sector-3, while the others hail from different districts of Bihar.

Police recovered cash worth Rs 43,100, 18 bank passbooks, three cheque books, 10 debit cards, nine SIM cards, and 10 mobile phones from the accused.

Authorities have also frozen the bank accounts that allegedly received the defrauded money in order to prevent further financial transactions.

SP Meena said interrogation of the accused suggests that the key operators and handlers of the racket are based in Bihar. Police are coordinating with law enforcement agencies in Bihar to identify and apprehend them.

The seized mobile phones, banking documents, and other digital evidence will undergo forensic examination to trace additional members of the network and establish the full extent of the operation, he said.

Investigators are also examining the role of the owner of the house from which the gang operated. Police said legal action would be initiated if any negligence or complicity is established during the investigation.

The criminal backgrounds of all the arrested persons are also being verified.

–IANS

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