5 held for cheating over 500 people
New Delhi: Cyber police wing of the central district police has busted a notorious gang of international online fraudsters and arrested five accused, including 3 Nigerian nationals, Delhi Police said. Police seized 11 mobile phones, 29 SIM cards, two laptops, 1 dongle, and 3 pen drives used in the commission of the crime. Around Rs 3.50 lakh cash has also been frozen in bank accounts.
The gang members used to cheat people, especially women through social media platforms on the pretext of sending gifts and would get the money transferred from victims in the name of custom duty, conversion charge of dollars/euros and other official charges, they said. Police have recovered 22 accounts in different banks under separate names in their possession, the police said. The gang members have cheated more than 500 people of crores of rupees in the last five years, they added.
Shweta Chauhan, DCP, Central said that the accused have been identified as Isaac Chukwuma Okorie (46), Ofosu (27), Sai Matthew (29), all three African Nationals and Kamal Kumar aka Abu (25), a resident of Delhi and Lalrimawii (56), a resident of Mizoram.
On October 29, a lady doctor working in a govt hospital reported that one Mark Peterson approached her on Instagram on June 24, 2022. He represented himself as a pilot in American Airlines, residing in London. Later on, they exchanged their numbers. He used to send WhatsApp messages to her regularly. In July 2022, he said that he is coming to India for a tour. On 25, July 2022, she received a call that Mark Peterson has arrived at Mumbai Airport, and in the name of Customs Duty and other charges, the accused cheated her of more than Rs 19 lakh. She requested legal action. Subsequently, a case under section 170/419/420/120B IPC was registered at Cyber Central, Delhi and an investigation was taken up.
Shweta Chauhan, DCP, Central said that during the investigation of beneficiary bank accounts in which the complainant has transferred the money, it was revealed that a large number of transactions were being done. Further, it was revealed that the money credited to these accounts was transferred to other banks accounts or withdrawn through ATMs immediately,
"They had opened various banks accounts in the name of different persons to rotate the money," DCP Shweta Chauhan mentioned.
On December 15, based on a technical investigation, a police team led by Khemendra Pal Singh SHO, Cyber Police Station under the supervision of Ajay Kumar Singh, ACP, Operation apprehended accused Kamal Kumar alias Abu from Uttam Nagar, Delhi. Further at his instance, other accused were arrested from Tilak nagar, Delhi area. Various fake Instagram and Facebook profiles were recovered from the mobile phones and laptops of the accused persons, the official said.
