Gujarat's Cyber Centre of Excellence (CID Crime) on Tuesday, 6 May 2025, busted a major interstate cyber crime racket involving fraud of over ₹53.55 crore linked to 132 complaints across the country. 10 key operatives were arrested from Anand and Ahmedabad districts. Investigators also uncovered a connection to the high-profile murder case of late Maharashtra politician Baba Siddique, with mule bank accounts allegedly supplied by one of the accused.

How the Operation Was Conducted

Acting on directives from Director General of Police K.L.N. Rao to intensify action against rising cyber offences, a specialised team was constituted under the supervision of Superintendents of Police Dr Rajdeepsinh Zala, Sanjay Keshwala, and Vivek Bheda. Technical surveillance led investigators to the accused, who were reportedly working on a commission basis — facilitating the transfer of funds obtained through cyber fraud.

According to police, the accused lured individuals into renting out their bank accounts, which were then used to route illicit funds. The offences spanned investment fraud, UPI-related fraud, and trading fraud. This comes amid a broader national push to dismantle organised cyber crime networks that exploit ordinary citizens as unwitting conduits.

Scale of Fraud and Accounts Involved

Examination of the accused's mobile phones revealed details of 197 bank accounts. Of these, 60 accounts were found to have been used across more than 132 cyber crime offences nationwide, with total fraud amounting to approximately ₹53.55 crore. State-wise data showed the widest impact in Gujarat (22 complaints), followed by Karnataka (14), Maharashtra (13), Uttar Pradesh and Kerala (10 each), Rajasthan (9), Tamil Nadu (8), Haryana and West Bengal (7 each), Telangana and Andhra Pradesh (6 each), Delhi (5), Bihar and Punjab (3 each), Assam, Chhattisgarh and Odisha (2 each), and one each in Puducherry, Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh.

The Accused and Seized Evidence

Those arrested include Krupal Desai, Nizamuddin Diwan, Moin Malek, and Sahilmia Malek from Petlad in Anand district; Sohil Malek of Borsad; Jignesh Patel and Vanraj Bharwad from Kanjari in Kheda; Tushar Valand of Boriavi in Anand; Rickren (also known as Rocky or Pandit Patel) from Mahudha in Kheda; and Akash Patel of Kathwada in Ahmedabad. Police seized 11 mobile phones, 3 cheque books, 3 passbooks, and 3 debit cards from the accused.

The Baba Siddique Murder Connection

In a significant related development, investigators found that accused Sahilmia Malek had allegedly provided a Karnataka Bank account belonging to one Salman Vhora to individuals accused in the murder of late Maharashtra politician Baba Siddique. Salman Vhora has since been arrested by Maharashtra Police in connection with that case. The link underscores how mule bank accounts — originally opened to facilitate cyber fraud — are increasingly being repurposed across different categories of organised crime, a pattern law enforcement agencies have flagged with growing concern.

Public Advisory from Police

Police urged citizens not to rent out their bank accounts, ATM cards, or cheque books to unknown individuals or agents under any pretext, and cautioned against trusting social media advertisements promising unusually high returns. In case of cyber fraud, authorities advised victims to contact the cyber helpline number 1930 within the 'golden hour' — the first one hour after an incident. "Reporting within the golden hour can help hold approximately 50 per cent more funds," officials said. Further operations targeting interstate cyber crime networks are expected as Gujarat CID Crime scales up technical surveillance capabilities.