Delhi Police have dismantled an interstate cybercrime syndicate allegedly responsible for providing shell bank accounts, banking kits, and point-of-sale (POS) terminals to fraudsters nationwide. Four individuals involved in the operation have been apprehended following a raid in the Paharganj area of the capital.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the arrested operatives have been identified as Sanjay, aged 30, and Kuldeep Goley, aged 32, both residents of Delhi. Also apprehended were Nirdosh Bidlan, 24, from Sonipat in Haryana, and Deepak Bishnoi, 20, from Hanumangarh in Rajasthan.
According to police reports, this syndicate played a crucial role in facilitating a wide array of online frauds. They allegedly provided “mule accounts,” which are bank accounts opened either in the names of fictitious shell firms or recruited individuals. These accounts were subsequently used to channel and launder money generated through various cybercrimes, including fraudulent investment schemes, job scams, and so-called “digital arrest” frauds.
The breakthrough came when police conducted a raid on a hotel in Paharganj. The four accused were reportedly in the process of preparing banking infrastructure for further distribution when they were apprehended, a senior police official stated. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against the individuals under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and a comprehensive investigation has been launched.
During their interrogation, the arrested operatives revealed the intricate structure of the racket. It operated through a well-defined network comprising outstation suppliers who procured or created the necessary components, local coordinators who managed logistics, and end-users who deployed the fraudulent infrastructure.
The outstation operatives are alleged to have formed shell partnership firms using fabricated rent agreements. Subsequently, they opened commercial current accounts under the names of these purported firms. These banking kits, which included cheque books, passbooks, and debit cards, were then transported to Delhi.
In Delhi, local handlers were reportedly responsible for managing the logistics of these kits. Their duties included facilitating the deployment of POS terminals and merchant Unified Payments Interface (UPI) QR codes. These tools were used to disguise illicit financial proceeds as legitimate business transactions, thereby making the fraudulent money harder to trace.
Investigators have indicated that the individuals whose bank accounts were used as mules were allegedly compensated with approximately eight percent of the illicit funds. Intermediaries involved in the operation reportedly earned an additional commission ranging from two to four percent.
During the course of the raid, law enforcement officials recovered a significant haul of items. These included an active bank POS terminal, a merchant UPI QR code scanner, five cheque books and passbooks associated with commercial current accounts, and six debit cards. Additionally, three original partnership deeds, corporate stamps, PAN cards, a commercial rent agreement, and four mobile phones containing banking-related records were seized.
Initial technical analysis of the seized devices and records has revealed that the bank accounts linked to this syndicate were associated with multiple cyber fraud complaints. These complaints were registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) and included cases reported from states such as Karnataka and Maharashtra. Furthermore, several of these accounts were found to have been flagged in at least five separate fraud complaints, underscoring the widespread nature of their alleged illicit activities.
❤️ Support Independent Journalism
Your contribution keeps our reporting free, fearless, and accessible to everyone.
Or make a one-time donation
Secure via Razorpay • 12 monthly payments • Cancel anytime before next cycle
(We don't allow anyone to copy content. For Copyright or Use of Content related questions, visit here.)
The Chenab Times News Desk
