Did Delhi Police Capture Four Fraudsters in a Rs 16 Lakh Investment Scam?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
New Delhi, Dec 10 (NationPress) The Delhi Police apprehended four individuals linked to an investment fraud amounting to Rs 16 lakh on Wednesday.
As per a declaration from the South-West District Police, a unit from the Cyber Police Station detained the fraudsters: Manish Dilip Bhai Koshti (37), Mohd. Zaid A. Sidi (28), Md. Aezaz Khimani (35), and Shaikh Abrar (27), all hailing from Ahmedabad, Gujarat. They seized six mobile phones, six debit cards, and eight SIM cards that were utilized in the fraudulent activities.
A complaint was lodged by A. Kumar of Palam Colony at the Cyber/SWD police station through NCRP, where he detailed that he was added to a WhatsApp group named “71 Abbott.” The group's admin and members impersonated representatives of an investment firm, enticing him with claims of a 300 percent profit. They coerced him into making numerous payments at various stages, ultimately defrauding him of Rs 16,00,000. An FIR No. 112/25 was registered on October 27 under Section 318(4) BNS, initiating an investigation.
A specialized team consisting of Sub Inspector Sombir, Head Constable Jitender, HC Mayurpal, and HC Sandeep was assembled under the oversight of Insp. Pravesh Kaushik, SHO/PS Cyber, and the comprehensive guidance of Vijay Kumar, ACP/OPS, to track the fraud network. Using technical surveillance, analysis of digital footprints, and scrutiny of the monetary trail, the team determined that portions of the defrauded funds—Rs 50,000 and Rs 2,00,000—were funneled through UCO Bank and RBL Bank accounts before being deposited into Manish Koshti's account at HDFC Bank via payment gateways like Cred and Razorpay.
A raid in Ahmedabad resulted in the capture of Manish Koshti. During questioning, he disclosed his role in processing the fraudulently acquired funds through credit card bill payments for a 5 percent commission. He also implicated Zaid and other accomplices. Acting on this information, further raids were executed in Ahmedabad, leading to the arrest of the remaining three suspects—Mohd. Zaid, Md. Aezaz, and Shaikh Abrar. All incriminating digital devices and bank cards utilized in the scam were confiscated.
The accused initially engaged in buying and selling mobile phones but later established an office in Ahmedabad where they laundered the stolen funds through credit card bill payments, trading in USDT, and other channels. They earned a 5 percent commission for each transaction, which was distributed among all participants, functioning as a well-organized financial settlement unit for various cybercrime syndicates.
Ongoing investigations are in progress.