New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) In a massive crackdown against organised cyber crime syndicates, Cyber West Police Station of the West District Police emerged as one of Delhi Police’s most effective cyber crime units during April, successfully dismantling several inter-state fraud networks and bringing 89 cyber offenders to justice.

The extensive operations, carried out across multiple states, led to the exposure of a cyber fraud network involving nearly Rs 40 crore, while Rs 51.95 lakh was successfully returned to victims through timely legal and financial intervention.

According to Delhi Police, 35 hardcore cyber criminals were arrested and 54 others were preventively bound down during the month-long campaign. The police also worked out 34 major cyber fraud cases and disposed of 16 cases after detailed investigation.

The operations were conducted under the leadership of Inspector Vikas Kumar Buldak, SHO of PS Cyber West, under the close supervision of ACP Operations Vijay Singh and the overall supervision of senior officers of West District Police.

Police teams carried out coordinated raids across Jharkhand, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi, targeting organised syndicates involved in digital arrest scams, investment frauds, APK file scams, fake dating membership frauds and mule account operations.

Investigators used technical surveillance, financial trail analysis and digital Intelligence gathering to trace cyber criminals who were routing cheated money through mule accounts, layered transactions and cryptocurrency conversions.

During the operations, police recovered significant digital infrastructure and cash allegedly used in cyber fraud activities. The recoveries included Rs 14.18 lakh in cash, 359 SIM cards, 218 ATM cards, 88 mobile phones, 78 cheque books, five passbooks, three credit cards, two laptops, two slip pads, one pen drive, one Discovery car and a laptop charger.

Delhi Police further stated that against a total cheated amount of Rs 3.36 crore reported during the month, PS Cyber West teams managed to secure Rs 1.11 crore through immediate lien marking and banking coordination. In addition, Rs 51.95 lakh was reverted to victims through court orders, preventing nearly half of the cheated amount from reaching fraudsters.

In one of the biggest operations of the month, PS Cyber West dismantled a highly organised mule account and OTP routing syndicate operating from Karampura in Delhi.

A police team comprising SI Hariom, SI Amit, SI Yogesh, SI Praveen, HC Pawan and HC Sanjeet conducted a high-risk raid after receiving specific Intelligence regarding the functioning of a cyber fraud module from a rented premises.

Police said the accused attempted to escape dramatically by jumping from the fourth floor of the building after spotting the raiding team. However, due to swift action and tactical coordination, all accused were successfully apprehended.

The arrested accused were identified as Bittoo Chaudhary, Lavish Chugh, Rishi, Arun Singh, Ashish and Deepak Bhatt.

During investigation, police found that the accused were operating a centralised OTP-sharing system through a WhatsApp group named “DL Office”, which was allegedly used for unauthorised operation of mule bank accounts.

The police recovered 43 smartphones, 313 SIM cards, 184 ATM cards, 51 cheque books, two passbooks and two laptops with chargers from the accused.

Technical analysis conducted through the Samanvaya Portal reportedly linked the syndicate to 35 NCRP complaints involving cheated amounts worth nearly Rs 40 crore across different states.

In another significant breakthrough, PS Cyber West busted a fake dating club membership fraud syndicate that allegedly cheated citizens through fake friendship offers, Telegram bots and manipulated VIP membership schemes.

The investigation was conducted by SI Vikas Rathee, HC Jagdish and HC Ved Prakash under the supervision of Inspector Vikas Kumar Buldak.

The accused, identified as Sachin Rawat, Akshay Kumar Baliyan and Kartikey Choudhary, allegedly used fake Telegram identities and digital platforms to emotionally manipulate victims and divert cheated money through mule accounts before converting it into USDT cryptocurrency.

Police investigation revealed possible interstate and international linkages, with digital trails reportedly extending to Africa-based IP addresses.

Investigators linked 28 NCRP complaints with the accused accounts and traced interstate cash withdrawals in Bengaluru. Mobile phones containing incriminating Telegram and WhatsApp chats were also recovered during the investigation.

In another major achievement, PS Cyber West solved a sophisticated “digital arrest” fraud case in which fraudsters allegedly psychologically terrorised a senior citizen by falsely implicating him in a fake money laundering case.

A dedicated police team comprising SI Gaurav, HC Naresh, Ct. Kapil, Ct. Manish and Ct. Dinesh conducted detailed financial analysis and interstate raids in Ludhiana, Punjab, and Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.

The accused — Ashok Kumar, Suraj Kumar, Deepu Kumar and Vivek Kumar — were arrested for allegedly operating mule bank accounts and converting cheated money into cryptocurrency through layered financial transactions.

During the investigation, police recovered seven cheque books, 11 debit cards, three credit cards, 18 SIM cards and five mobile phones.

West District Police stated that it remains committed to continuing its aggressive campaign against organised cyber criminals and ensuring the safety of citizens against emerging cyber threats and financial frauds.

–IANS

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