Interstate cybercriminal gang busted
New Delhi: The North District Police has dismantled an interstate cybercriminal module that had been targeting cash businesses in Chandni Chowk.
The operation, led by a specialised team from the Police Station Lahori Gate, was initiated after a case was registered on November 2, officials informed on Monday.
The accused has been identified as Suresh Purohit (29), a resident of Jaipur, Rajasthan, who was arrested in Shimla on November 6. Police have recovered Rs 80,000 in cash, one black-colored Scorpio car purchased with cheated money, one Apple laptop, three iPhones, one Samsung foldable phone, one Oppo phone, one keypad mobile phone, and one Airtel Wi-Fi dongle from his possession.
Manoj Kumar Meena, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) North Delhi stated that the criminals employed a cunning modus operandi by impersonating known associates of businessmen through WhatsApp calls.
This tactic tricked victims into transferring substantial sums of money to unknown individuals, amounting to a staggering Rs one crore. The criminals went to great lengths to avoid detection, continuously spoofing their locations by running WhatsApp on mobile devices without SIM cards.
The intensive investigation was carried out by a dedicated team led by SI Ranvijay (In-charge PP Church Mission Road), comprising ASI Bal Hussain, HC Anil, HC Naresh, and Ct Vipul, under the close supervision of Inspector Vijender Rana, SHO Lahori Gate, and the guidance of Vijay Singh, ACP Sub-Division, Kotwali.
On November 2, a case was filed against the accused for cheating a Madhya Pradesh-based businessman Pradeep Jain of Rs one crore. The criminals duped businessmen into getting their trusted associates to transfer large sums of money based on verbal confirmation, although no such requests were made by the associates, Meena mentioned.
Detailed technical analysis of Call Detail Records and continuous surveillance on suspect mobile numbers played a crucial role in the investigation.
SIM cards were obtained using fake IDs from an Airtel office in Gurugram, Haryana.
The accused’s location data was manipulated, showing him in Shimla while he was physically present there, Meena said.
The accused, in association with his co-conspirators, targeted unsuspecting individuals to fund a lavish lifestyle by cheating them through fraudulent calls.
The investigation is ongoing, with efforts to apprehend the remaining accused, Dasrath and Hemant Jain, and to recover the remaining stolen property while ascertaining the involvement of other associates in this criminal network, Meena added.
