Srinagar, March 19 (IANS) The Counter-Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Thursday that it has busted a sophisticated international cyber fraud racket and apprehended seven suspects.

A statement by the CIK said that in a major success, the Counter-Intelligence Kashmir unveiled a highly sophisticated international cyber fraud network and arrested the suspects in Srinagar.

“CIK-CID received various technical and credible inputs, regarding the functioning of covert call centres engaged in fraudulent online activities targeting foreign/ local nationals,” the statement said.

As per the details shared, the CIK promptly constituted specialised teams comprising technical experts and field operatives and carried out systematic surveillance, digital intelligence gathering and verification across multiple locations, ultimately identifying a key operational hub at the Industrial Area, Rangreth, Srinagar.

In furtherance of this, the CIK teams conducted swift and well-coordinated raids in different parts of Srinagar city. During the raids, seven suspects were apprehended, and a large quantity of digital and communication equipment was seized, including: 13 mobile phones, nine laptops, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) systems, SIM cards and networking devices, digital storage media, etc.

The items seized include two iPhone 17, three iPhone 16, two iPhone 10, two iPhone 11, one Samsung Galaxy S25FE, one Redmi 11TG5, one NAZRO 50 A, one Redmi Note 7 Pro, one Apple iPad, three Dell Laptops, four HP Laptops and two Apple MacBooks.

The statement said the modus operandi involved the accused establishing a covert, unregistered call centre infrastructure using VoIP-based systems, enabling them to generate international virtual numbers, mask their real location using server routing and spoofing techniques, and appear as legitimate service providers to unsuspecting victims.

International calls were being generated and routed through this call centre. A fake YahooMail.com website and Google advertisements were used to target victims.

Individuals across multiple countries were approached through organised call operations and online phishing ads. Once a victim clicked on the advertisement, a toll-free number appeared on their screen.

This toll-free number was operated by the suspects, who then deceived innocent people into providing their banking and other personal details.

Funds were subsequently transferred into various accounts, including mule accounts and cryptocurrency wallets (primarily USDT).

The illicit proceeds were further layered, converted, and withdrawn to conceal their origin. Notably, no cash transactions were involved, highlighting the fully digital and sophisticated nature of the crime.

The statement said the transactions carried out so far seem to be running into crores of rupees. The seized material and devices contain substantial incriminating evidence, clearly indicating a highly organised and technologically advanced criminal setup. A case has been registered under the relevant sections of law.

–IANS

sq/dpb