Goa Police Nab Assam Residents in Major Rs 1.4 Crore Cyberfraud Case
In a significant crackdown on inter-state cybercrime, the cybercrime cell of Goa police made a crucial arrest on Saturday, apprehending two individuals from Assam for their alleged involvement in a sophisticated fraud case amounting to Rs 1.4 crore. The accused, identified as Ashadul Islam, aged 24, and Yasmina Ahmed, aged 32, both residents of Assam, were taken into custody following a detailed investigation into the scam.
Details of the Cyberfraud Operation
The case was registered by Goa police based on a complaint filed by a resident of Bicholim. According to Cybercrime Superintendent of Police Rahul Gupta, the accused employed a deceptive strategy by impersonating officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Supreme Court. They used multiple WhatsApp numbers to carry out their scheme, subjecting the complainant to a fake digital arrest. This tactic involved coercing the victim into transferring a substantial sum of Rs 1.4 crore to various bank accounts under false pretenses.
Investigation and Arrest Process
Gupta elaborated that a technical investigation was conducted into the communication between the fraudsters and the victim, which led to tracing the accused. A special team from the crime branch successfully arrested Islam and Ahmed from Nagaon, Assam. Upon their apprehension, it was discovered that both individuals had a prior history of similar cyber fraud activities, having been arrested earlier in Assam for comparable offenses.
The same mobile phones were used in the Goa case also. The seizure done by Assam police will be included in the Goa police case too, Gupta stated, highlighting the interconnected nature of their criminal operations. He further revealed that the same mobile numbers were linked to another digital arrest complaint registered in Goa, involving a fraud amount of Rs 63.5 lakh.
Wider Implications and National Links
The investigation uncovered that the accused were operating multiple mobile numbers using common IMEI devices, which were found to be connected to numerous cyberfraud complaints across the country. This discovery points to a broader network of financial frauds, with Islam and Ahmed identified as the main accused in this chain. Police officials anticipate that this arrest will lead to solving multiple cases nationwide, as the duo's activities appear to be part of a larger, organized cybercrime ring.
This case underscores the growing threat of cyberfraud in India and the importance of inter-state cooperation in tackling such crimes. The arrest serves as a reminder for citizens to remain vigilant against digital scams and for law enforcement agencies to enhance their technical capabilities in combating cyber threats.
