KOCHI: Police have found links of a Chinese cyber fraud syndicate operating from the so-called ‘Golden Triangle’ in the case related to the swindling of Rs 90 lakh from retired Kerala High Court judge Sasidharan Nambiar. Kochi Cyber Police arrested three individuals from Thalassery linked to the scam.
The Golden Triangle, comprising regions of Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos has become a major hub for large-scale cyber fraud operations, many of them run by Chinese nationals. According to police, the stolen money was converted into bitcoins and routed through international firms ultimately connected to cybercrime networks based in the region.
“Our investigation has revealed that the bitcoins were transferred to foreign companies engaged in online fraud. These companies operate through a wide network of individuals both abroad and in India. Tracing the flow of these cryptocurrencies will be challenging, but we are actively identifying those working locally for these dubious firms,” a senior officer said.
Police also noted a disturbing trend involving local youth unknowingly assisting these syndicates.
“We have found that several unemployed youngsters from Thalassery and Kannur are being recruited by these cyber fraud groups. They are lured into joining online trading platforms and led to believe that the money being deposited into their accounts is legitimate profit from trading activities. They hand over money to agents who convert it to bitcoins” the officer added. Some of these individuals received payments of up to Rs 2.5 lakh, with one youth even purchasing a high-end motorcycle using the proceeds. Police officials said that they have identified more youngsters involved in the cyber fraud and they would be arrested soon.
