Bihar Police have arrested two men in East Champaran district for allegedly running a cyber fraud network with links to Pakistani nationals, facilitating suspicious financial transactions through Indian bank accounts and QR codes. The arrests, carried out during pre-dawn raids on Saturday, 7 November, mark a significant breakthrough in the state's crackdown on cross-border digital crime.

How the Arrests Unfolded

A special police team led by Sadar SDPO-1 Dilip Kumar conducted simultaneous raids at two rented houses in the Belisarai area around 1:20 am on Saturday, acting on a tip-off. Superintendent of Police Swarn Prabhat confirmed the operation, stating that the accused were taken into custody without incident.

The two men have been identified as Pankaj Gupta, a resident of Semmuapur under Dumariyaghat police station, and Raju Kushwaha alias Raju Kumar Bhagat (22), a resident of Shyampur Barwa under Sangrampur police station. Both were living in rented accommodation in Belisarai at the time of arrest.

What Police Recovered

Investigators seized two Android mobile phones and five ATM cards from the accused. The ATM cards comprised three issued by Federal Bank, one by IDFC First Bank, and one by Bank of India — all registered in the names of Raju Kumar and Raju Kumar Bhagat.

Digital evidence on the mobile phones included WhatsApp numbers linked to Pakistan, suspicious chat records, and financial transaction histories. According to preliminary investigations, the accused were allegedly operating under instructions from Pakistani contacts, receiving money into Indian bank accounts via QR codes before transferring it onward to other accounts.

Scale and Scope of the Alleged Network

Police suspect the bank accounts were being used to receive and launder proceeds of cyber fraud. Investigators are now analysing transaction records and digital communications to determine the total amount routed through the accounts. The probe is also examining whether the network had connections across multiple states and whether additional individuals were involved.

Notably, this comes amid a broader national pattern of cyber fraud syndicates exploiting Indian banking infrastructure — including QR-code payment channels — allegedly in coordination with handlers based outside the country.

Raiding Team and Next Steps

The operation involved Sadar DSP-1 Dilip Kumar, Inspector Rajiv Ranjan, Sub-Inspectors K.V. Hanumanta, Santosh Kumar, and Satish Kumar, along with Jamadar Bhim Yadav, female constable Putul Kumari, and other personnel. The seized phones and ATM cards have been sent for forensic examination.

Investigators are focused on identifying the Pakistani contacts, tracing the full financial trail, and establishing the alleged masterminds of the racket. Further arrests have not been ruled out as the investigation continues to widen.