Gujarat Cyber Cell Busts ₹200-Crore Cyber Fraud Network, 6 Arrested Linked to Dubai
Mule accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, and Angadia pathways that led to a syndicate based in Dubai were used to launder money.
Gandhinagar, Gujarat: The Cyber Center of Excellence in Gandhinagar has made a significant breakthrough in the fight against organized cybercrime by uncovering an international and interstate cyber fraud syndicate that laundered more than ₹200 crore to a network based in Dubai using mule bank accounts, cryptocurrency transactions, and conventional angadia channels.
Officials claim that by creating numerous fake bank accounts in various states, the accused ran a sophisticated financial network. Before being withdrawn or converted into cryptocurrency, funds that had been siphoned off from victims of online scams, such as digital arrest, part-time job fraud, investment schemes, loan scams, and UPI-related frauds, were sent through these accounts.
The Investigation
The cyber squad, under the direction of Superintendent of Police Dr. Rajdeep Singh Jhala, initiated a coordinated operation across several districts in response to particular intelligence inputs and technical surveillance.
Six important suspects were arrested as a result of simultaneous raids in Morbi, Surat, and Savarkundla carried out by a combined team consisting of Police Inspectors G.B. Dodia, P.D. Makwana, and Kuldeep Parmar, as well as technical specialists and field officers.
The Arrested Individuals
The following were arrested:
- Mahendra Shamjibhai Solanki, Morbi
- Rupen Pranjivanbhai Bhatia, Morbi
- Rakeshbhai Kantibhai Lania, Surendranagar
- Rakesh Kumar Chamanbhai Dekawadia, Surendranagar
- Vijay Nathabhai Khambhalya, Surat
- Pankaj Babubhai Kathiria, Surat
How the Network Operated?
According to investigators, the defendants created fictitious businesses and established current accounts with many banks using those names. These accounts acted as channels for the illegal money obtained from Indian victims of cybercrime.
The accused either changed the money into cryptocurrencies or withdrew it in cash, fully aware that it was the result of criminal activity. After being laundered, the money was sent to a handler in Dubai using Angadia couriers and cryptocurrency wallets in return for a commission.
Links to more than 100 bank accounts connected to 386 cybercrime cases nationally, involving fraud totaling more than ₹200 crore, were found during a forensic analysis of the confiscated cell phones.
Seizures and Ongoing Probe
Twelve cell phones, multiple SIM cards, and papers pertaining to more than 100 bank accounts linked to the scam were confiscated by the police during the raids.
According to a top cybercrime official:
| “This operation has exposed the growing nexus between domestic cyber fraud rings and international money laundering syndicates. The digital trail of crypto transactions and angadia routes is now being meticulously traced to identify cross-border collaborators.” |
A Growing Challenge in India’s Cyber Landscape
The case demonstrates the growing complexity of financial cybercrime in India, where illicit funds are increasingly being transferred through unofficial courier services and digital currencies in order to avoid discovery.
According to officials, this gang is but a small part of a wider multinational cyber-financial network that conceals the source of illicit gains through the use of digital technology, cryptocurrency assets, and alternative cash systems.
About the Author:
Yogesh Naager is a content marketer who specializes in the cybersecurity and B2B space. Besides writing for the News4Hackers blogs, he also writes for brands including Craw Security, Bytecode Security, and NASSCOM.
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