New Delhi [India], May 27 (ANI): The Central District Police's Cyber Police Station on Wednesday busted an organised interstate network involved in facilitating cyber fraud by supplying bank account kits, SIM cards, and ATM cards to criminal syndicates, according to an official statement.

The investigation began following a complaint from a tea seller in South Patel Nagar, Delhi. According to the complaint, an unknown person visited his shop posing as a fintech employee and, on the pretext of updating settings/KYC on his mobile phone, dishonestly gained access to the device and fraudulently transferred Rs 90,000 from his bank account.

Following the receipt of the complaint, FIR was registered on May 15 under section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Cyber Central police station. A dedicated police team comprising Sub-Inspector Ravinder Kumar, Head Constable Deepak, and Head Constable Jai Kishan was constituted under the supervision of SHO/Cyber Inspector Yograj Dalal and overall supervision of ACP/OPS/Central Shri Padam Singh Rana.

Acting upon technical inputs and local intelligence, the team conducted multiple raids at Panchkula (Haryana), Zirakpur (Mohali) and adjoining areas of Haryana and Punjab. Sustained technical surveillance and field verification ultimately led to the apprehension and arrest of the three accused persons on May 19.

Investigation revealed that the cheated amount had been transferred into a public sector bank account used for routing the proceeds of cyber fraud. Technical surveillance, beneficiary account verification, bank transaction analysis, CCTV examination, digital profiling, and financial trail analysis were conducted, eventually leading to the identification of the accused.

The police team conducted multiple raids at Panchkula (Haryana), Zirakpur (Mohali), and adjoining areas, leading to the arrest of three individuals on May 19.

The arrested accused have been identified as Vishesh Singh (22), resident of Panchkula, Haryana, who acted as a beneficiary bank account holder who provided bank account kits and SIM cards for cyber fraud; Sachin Maurya (22), resident of Panchkula, who served as a facilitator involved in collecting bank account kits and supplying them to other operatives; and Ashish Sharma (27), resident of Kottla Kallan, Una, Himachal Pradesh who acted as a handler and supplier of multiple bank account kits to cyber fraud associates across different locations.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that they were receiving commissions for arranging and supplying bank accounts, ATM cards, registered SIM cards, and banking credentials, which were then used by cyber fraudsters to route and withdraw stolen money. Investigation revealed that the trio acted as intermediaries and supply-chain facilitators for organised interstate cyber fraud syndicates.

Digital analysis of seized mobile phones revealed incriminating evidence, including WhatsApp chats relating to the supply of bank accounts and commission distribution, contact details of multiple suspected associates, Instagram communications, details of mule bank accounts, and suspicious digital payment references.

The police stated that several mobile numbers, beneficiary bank accounts, and social media handles identified during the probe are suspected to be linked with other cyber fraud complaints reported on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP). The team recovered four mobile phones used in the circulation of these details.

Further investigation to identify remaining co-accused persons, trace additional beneficiary accounts, and identify other victims is ongoing. (ANI)