AHMEDABAD: A massive cyber fraud network has been busted in Surat, exposing an international syndicate that routed nearly Rs 47.74 crore through fake bank accounts, with links stretching to Dubai.
A 22-year-old B.Sc. graduate from Dindoli, Bhavesh Shinde, is arrested, while masterminds remain on the run.
A routine tip-off quickly unravelled into a sprawling cybercrime web.
The Surat Cyber Crime Cell has cracked down on a high-stakes international fraud racket that not only exploited loopholes, but also industrialised deception.
Ordinary citizens were lured with easy money.
The gang baited unsuspecting individuals with commissions, convincing them to open bank accounts.
Such accounts became silent conduits of crime, pumping crores across digital channels. As the operation deepened, Bhavesh Shinde's arrest emerged pivotal. His role was small in appearance, but massive in impact.
He worked as a cash collector, bridging the final mile between digital fraud and physical cash.
ATM withdrawals were carried out by scattered operatives. Bhavesh then came collecting the cash, consolidating the loot, and delivering it straight to the alleged kingpin, Harish Chaudhary.
The operation didn’t stop at India’s borders; it escalated.
The accounts’ instant kits and SIM cards were swiftly shipped to Dubai, turning the Gulf into a remote control hub for cyber criminals.
From there, stolen money was rerouted, masked, and multiplied.
Surat city DCP Bishakha Jain said: “This is not an isolated crime. It is a structured, multi-layered syndicate with international links. Every piece from bank accounts to SIM cards was part of a calculated chain.”
At Bhavesh’s residence in Kailash Palace, Dindoli, police closed in. Simultaneously, they stormed into the hideout of absconding accused Harish Chaudhary.
What surfaced was damning Rs 18.50 lakh in cash. But the seizures didn’t end there. Nine mobile phones, a cash counting machine, and 40 SIM cards, all tools of a sophisticated cybercrime setup, were confiscated.
As investigators dug deeper, the numbers became even more alarming. A total of 35 bank accounts linked to the racket surfaced, and shockingly, 56 complaints from across the country were already registered against them on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
The financial trail? Staggering.
Transactions worth approximately Rs 47.74 crore have already been traced, and officials warn that this may just be the tip of the iceberg.
Notably, the absconding accused Harish Chaudhary and his associate Hrishikesh are not new players.
They were previously linked to a major gaming scam probed by the Enforcement Directorate four years ago, hinting at a long-running criminal enterprise.
DCP Jain underscored the urgency: “Given their history and network, we are treating this as a high-priority manhunt. Multiple teams are actively tracking the absconding accused.”
The accused is in custody, the money trail is expanding, and the syndicate’s global links are under the scanner.
