In a significant breakthrough, the Surat cybercrime police have apprehended two key accused wanted in a massive online fraud case involving over Rs 800 crore. The arrests were made at the Mumbai international airport as the duo returned from Thailand.
Airport Arrest Uncovers Masterminds
The arrested individuals have been identified as Jatin Thakkar (27), a mechanical engineer from Ahmedabad, and Deep Thakkar (24), a commerce graduate residing in Surat. They were taken into custody on Monday upon their arrival on a flight from Thailand. The police had previously secured a Look-Out Circular (LOC) against them after uncovering their real identities, which prevented them from fleeing the country.
This development follows a raid conducted two months ago in Surat's Katargam area, where five individuals were arrested. During that operation, police uncovered fraudulent transactions worth a staggering Rs 800.66 crores. Investigations led them to 149 mule bank accounts used to siphon victims' money, with a total of 417 complaints registered against these accounts across India.
International Operation and Platform Management
The five initially arrested accused revealed they were working for handlers based in Vietnam, known by aliases John Raper, Tyson (alias Pikachu), and Karan Desai. Further probe established that 'John Raper' was actually Jatin Thakkar and 'Tyson' was Deep Thakkar. The duo had been living in Vietnam and Thailand for several years.
Their primary role was managing the platform admin.leopay.live, which was used to handle funds obtained through cyberfraud. The platform serviced about 50 merchants involved in online betting, including names like Big Idea, PARIMATCH, 777, and ORIENT. They received illicit money on this platform and systematically transferred it to a network of mule accounts, which were managed by their associates in Surat.
Fresh Fraud Unearthed from Seized Devices
Upon arrest at Mumbai airport, police confiscated four mobile phones and two laptops from the accused. Forensic examination of these devices revealed even more damning evidence. Investigators found details of an additional 36 mule accounts through which fraudulent transactions worth another Rs 87 crore were conducted.
It was also discovered that a total of 227 complaints have been registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) against these newly identified accounts. Given the scale and continuing revelations, both Jatin and Deep Thakkar have been remanded to police custody for six days for further interrogation, with investigators expecting more shocking details to emerge.
This case highlights the sophisticated, cross-border nature of modern cybercrime and the critical role of international coordination and tools like the Look-Out Circular in bringing perpetrators to justice.
