Punjab: SAS Nagar Police bust Rs 92 cr 'Digital Arrest' scam, conducts raid across multiple states

SAS Nagar (Punjab) [India], August 14 (ANI): In a major breakthrough against cyber-enabled financial fraud, the Punjab police have uncovered a nationwide Rs 92-crore digital arrest scam, following coordinated raids across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Gujarat, said a press release.

The operation led to the identification of ten members from two organised gangs. Six individuals have been arrested; two are currently in jail and will be brought in on production warrants. Meanwhile, two remain at large and are being actively pursued, the release said.

The scam involved fraudsters impersonating senior police, CBI or other law enforcement officials over phone calls, falsely implicating victims in fabricated criminal cases. Under threat of a so-called digital arrest, the victims were coerced into transferring large sums of money.

Investigations have revealed that the gangs defrauded people in multiple states, siphoning off nearly Rs 92 crore, including Rs three crore from residents of SAS Nagar.

The case is linked to two FIRs registered at Police Station Cyber Crime, Phase-7. Police have frozen or closed 310 bank accounts and connected the accused to a Rs 12.5-crore fraud registered at Police Station at Northeast Division, Bengaluru, under Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the BNS and Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act.

Over the past four months, the SAS Nagar Cyber Crime Police have dismantled six illegal call centres, arrested 41 accused including seven foreign nationals, recovered laptops, mobile phones, SIM cards, ATM cards and multiple bank accounts, solved a honey trap case with three arrests, caught the mastermind of a fake recruitment racket that duped 25 people with false Railway job offers, refunded Rs 4.12 crore to victims in various cases, and prevented scams worth Rs two crore through timely alerts to banks.

SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans said the operation was not only about arrests but a demonstration of Punjab Police firm resolve to protect citizens from cybercrime, adding that efforts would continue to dismantle such networks, recover victims money and bring every culprit to justice. (ANI)

Disclaimer: This news article is a direct feed from ANI and has not been edited by the News Nation team. The news agency is solely responsible for its content.