The Visakhapatnam City Police has earned significant recognition for its exceptional work in solving a complex and distressing cybercrime case. The force secured the third prize in the prestigious state-level Award for Best Crime Detection (ABCD) for successfully cracking a major inter-state loan app fraud racket.
Honor for Outstanding Investigation
The award was presented by Director-General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta to city police commissioner Dr. Shanka Brata Bagchi at a ceremony held at the Police Headquarters in Mangalagiri on Friday, December 19, 2024. The accolade specifically recognized the outstanding investigation spearheaded by cybercrimes inspector K. Bhavani Prasad and his dedicated team.
The Tragic Case That Sparked the Probe
The investigation was triggered by a deeply tragic incident. On December 7, 2024, a 22-year-old newly married man in Vizag died by suicide after facing intense harassment from loan app fraudsters. The victim had borrowed a small sum of ₹2,000 through an unauthorized instant loan application. Despite repaying the loan, the app executives demanded more money.
In a severe violation of privacy, the fraudsters accessed the victim's mobile device and circulated morphed nude photographs of him and his wife to his entire contact list. This extreme harassment led to the young man's tragic death, prompting a swift and determined response from the Vizag cybercrime police.
Cracking the Inter-State Racket
The police launched a meticulous investigation, tracking the gang's operations across multiple states. Their efforts culminated in the arrest of 19 accused individuals. Investigators uncovered that the gang was involved in similar crimes on a nationwide scale.
The modus operandi involved routing illicit money through a network of fake bank accounts and then converting the proceeds into cryptocurrency to hide the trail. After sustained efforts, the police managed to seize USTD (a form of cryptocurrency) linked to the fraud. In a significant move towards justice, authorities distributed ₹55 lakh to the victims who had been targeted by this gang.
In related award news, the Parvathipuram Manyam district police secured the second prize in the ABCD awards for solving a murder case within 48 hours. The case involved an unmarried woman killed near Cheepuruvalasa under Salur rural police limits, with the accused being swiftly arrested.
