Kolkata: The Cyber Crime Wing of Bengal Police has arrested 46 cyber fraudsters from multiple locations on the Bengal-Jharkhand border. These individuals had close ties to cybercrime lords based in Jamtara, Jharkhand, and Mandla in Madhya Pradesh.
The Wing claimed to solve over 250 cases of cyber fraud — mostly related to digital arrest, sextortion and investment frauds — in one of the biggest operations, christened ‘Operation Shakti', in Bengal. Once again, the investment frauds targeted youngsters while the digital arrest fraud aimed to deceive the elderly.
All these cases were recorded in just the past month across the Asansol-Durgapur and Chandannagar commissionerates and the Birbhum, Hooghly and East Burdwan Police cyber cells, with the western zone of the state being the prime target. A few cases were reported in Kolkata oo, claimed sources.
"More than 90% of these cases now appear to be solved," said Supratim Sarkar, ADG (South Bengal). "The arrests began more than two weeks ago, and we went to MP and Jharkhand to conduct the raids," said an officer.
According to DIG (Cyber) Amit Rathod, the police districts of the western zone, in coordination with the cybercrime wing Bengal, successfully conducted the raids. The breakthrough came after the arrest of three accused from Khoirasole in Birbhum. "This led us to the other accused. We formed 10 separate teams to crack down on these gangs. We arrested multiple gangs, all of whom had ties in some form or another with Jharkhand," said Rathod.
Sarkar stated that multiple complaints were filed from Asansol, Birbhum, Durgapur, Chandannagar, and East Burdwan. In addition to the arrests, 84 SIM cards were found on them. "Eighty-four mobile phones and about 30 debit cards were also seized. Around 100 mule accounts have been blocked. The Jamtara gangs are changing their modus operandi and their area of operations, but we are up to the job," said an officer.