Crime Branch busts ‘digital arrest’ racket, arrests six

The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police on Sunday claimed to have dismantled an organised syndicate behind sophisticated “digital arrest” scams with the arrest of six individuals for allegedly swindling Rs 49 lakh from a 71-year-old woman.

The victim was reportedly held under virtual confinement for nearly 24 hours by the fraudsters posing as law enforcement officials.

Advertisement

An investigation was launched based on a formal complaint from an elderly victim. The perpetrators of the crime used a combination of spoofed official communication, intimidation, and psychological manipulation to convince the woman that she was facing serious legal action, coercing her into transferring the massive sum to various bank accounts.

In a coordinated operation, police teams conducted raids across multiple locations in Lucknow, including Aminabad, Hasanganj, Madey Ganj, and Sadar Cantt. The six individuals taken into custody have been identified as Mohd. Ovais (25), Vishal Tiwari (19), Shakeel Ahmad (53), Mohd. Ahad (25), Mohd. Atif (25), and Mohd. Ujjaib (25).

DCP (Cyber) Aditya Gautam stated that the crackdown represents a significant breakthrough in combating organised cyber-financial fraud. He added that investigations are ongoing to track down other operatives linked to the network.

The police revealed that the accused, many of whom came from modest backgrounds and worked as daily-wage labourers, tailors, or private helpers, were recruited to open and operate “mule” bank accounts for laundering the illicit funds.

The operation was led by Inspector Subhash Chandra and his team under the supervision of ACP Anil Sharma. Investigators found that the gang funneled the stolen money through a complex web of bank accounts before ultimately withdrawing the cash from ATMs to obscure the trail. The Crime Branch also confirmed that multiple prior complaints against the arrested individuals had been registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.