AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Police’s Ahmedabad cyber crime branch busted a major cross-border scam, arresting two men who supplied thousands of SIM cards to a Chinese cyber gang running "digital arrest" rackets.
The duo, already jailed in Madhya Pradesh for similar frauds, used fake companies to obtain SIMs, which were later used to cheat victims, including an Ahmedabad citizen duped of Rs 86.22 lakh by posing as police officers and threatening arrest via continuous video calls.
The scam surfaced after an Ahmedabad resident was duped of Rs 86.22 lakh in June, when a fraudster, posing as a police officer, falsely accused him of money laundering.
The victim was sent a fake Supreme Court summons, monitored 24x7 through video calls, and repeatedly threatened with arrest unless he transferred his money.
Acting on technical analysis and human intelligence, cyber sleuths unearthed a SIM card racket feeding this cross-border syndicate.
The investigation revealed that Rishabh Bhalchand Hasurkar, a robotics engineering graduate, and Suresh Rajubhai Gudimini were the masterminds.
Both were already lodged in Panna District Jail, Madhya Pradesh, for another cyber fraud when they were taken into custody by Ahmedabad police.
According to the cybercrime press note, the gang’s modus operandi involved calling victims from untraceable numbers, pretending to be law enforcement officers, and claiming that the victim’s bank account was linked to money laundering.
“Victims were told they would be arrested under money laundering charges, sent fake Supreme Court warrants on WhatsApp, and kept under surveillance through continuous video calls. Under fear, they were forced to transfer large sums, which were never returned,” the note stated.
The probe uncovered that the accused floated three bogus companies: Star Multi Solution, Hasurkar Ventures Pvt Ltd, and Heiqian Multi Management Pvt Ltd.
Through these shell firms, they obtained around 550 SIM cards, reactivated blacklisted cards, and supplied a total of 2,500 SIMs to an agent named H.R. Danny at Mumbai International Airport.
These SIMs were funnelled to Chinese cyber gangs, who used them to digitally “arrest” victims, terrorising them into draining their bank accounts.
The scam’s reach extended far beyond Gujarat, with cases also registered against the duo in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra under the IT Act and IPC sections for cheating and forgery.
With this arrest, the cyber crime branch has struck at the heart of a multi-crore cyber fraud network, but investigators warn that many more operatives, including Chinese handlers and local agents, are still at large.