AHMEDABAD: The Cyber Crime Branch in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, has busted the notorious ‘Thakrar’ gang, booked in 404 cases nationwide for a Rs 16.04 crore cyber scam.
Six members are behind bars, while the mastermind, Milan, operating from Dubai, remains absconding. Investigators claim he was converting fraud money into cryptocurrency and funnelling it to a Chinese syndicate, with the probe pointing to a staggering Rs 300 crore transaction trail.
The crackdown began when police raided the gang’s Ambawadi office in Ahmedabad. From there, sleuths seized a large cache of evidence, including 65 bank passbooks, 158 cheque books, 45 debit/credit cards, 49 SIM cards, 12 mobile phones, a cash-counting machine, and Rs 37.57 lakh in cash.
Among those arrested were Sawan Thakrar and Govind Rawal, while Dhawal Thakrar and Brijraj Gadhvi were remanded in judicial custody. Keval Gadhvi and Hasmukh Patel, currently out on bail, also remain under police radar.
According to investigators, Milan, based in Dubai, allegedly directed Indian operatives Dhawal and Sawan to park scam money into dummy accounts.
These funds were siphoned off via ATMs, cheques, and CMS deposits before being handed over to Brijraj and Hasmukh. Using the Angadiya routes, the duo converted the funds into cryptocurrency (USDT) and transferred them back to Milan’s wallet.
From there, Milan allegedly laundered the stolen wealth into the hands of Chinese handlers. Investigators estimate that while direct fraud cases stand at ₹16.04 crore, the total transactions crossed an alleged ₹300 crore.
So far, Ahmedabad and Gandhidham police have registered multiple FIRs, including complaints of ₹1.05 crore, ₹54 lakh, and ₹32 lakh. With nationwide complaints piling up, the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal has flagged the ‘Thakrar’ gang as a major organised cyber racket.
Confirming the cross-border nexus, JCP Sharad Singhal said, “The main accused Milan operates from Dubai, providing digital wallets to his Indian gang members. The fraud money was converted into crypto and then routed to Chinese gangs abroad.”
Now, with some gang members in custody and others out on bail, Ahmedabad Cyber Crime has invoked GUJSITOK against the accused. The hunt is intensifying for Milan, the Dubai-based kingpin, whose arrest remains the top priority.