Gandhinagar/Vadodara, April 18 (NationPress) A significant cyber fraud syndicate with illicit transactions exceeding Rs 210 crore has been exposed, leading to the arrest of six individuals during a well-coordinated operation by the Cyber Centre of Excellence of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Crime in Gujarat, officials reported on Saturday.

The arrests occurred following an intelligence-led raid in Vadodara as part of ongoing efforts to combat the surge in cyber crime.

Officials stated that the suspects were part of an organized network driven by a shared motive of financial profit.

They opened or assisted in opening numerous bank accounts both in their names and those of others, which were used to funnel funds associated with cyber crime and online gaming activities.

These individuals procured bank account kits and SIM cards from account holders and exploited them to withdraw cash via banks and ATMs using cheques and debit cards.

"The suspects coordinated their efforts with a unified goal of financial gain by establishing or securing multiple bank accounts and facilitating the transfer and withdrawal of funds obtained through cyber fraud," the officials added.

Moreover, they provided bank accounts and SIM cards to their accomplices to facilitate the siphoning of fraudulent proceeds," officials explained.

The six individuals arrested have been named as Abdul Kabir Mohammad Ilyas Pathan, Vivek Vanzara, Mayank Bairwa, Rohit Varma, Mohit Rawal, and Dipesh Rajpurohit, also referred to as Montu.

According to police, Pathan was responsible for opening multiple bank accounts and withdrawing fraudulent funds on behalf of others, while Vanzara opened accounts under his name and those of his associates, earning commissions in the process.

Bairwa contributed by managing bank accounts, Varma withdrew money and earned commissions, and Rawal facilitated connections through a mobile shop.

Rajpurohit has been identified as the principal operator overseeing a network of approximately 40 bank accounts.

During the operation, authorities seized 11 mobile phones, 12 cheque books, five passbooks, 39 debit cards, a laptop, and 10 QR codes utilized for banking transactions.

Preliminary analysis of the seized bank account information revealed links to over 273 cyber fraud cases logged on the national cybercrime reporting portal.

The total estimated amount involved in these frauds is around Rs 2,10,70,52,247.

"The investigation uncovered more than 50 bank account details recovered from the suspects' mobile phones, which were used by interstate and international gangs to perpetrate crimes across multiple states in the country," officials remarked.

Investigators noted that the frauds associated with this network encompassed various schemes, including digital arrest scams, investment fraud, UPI-related fraud, deposit fraud, loan fraud, part-time job fraud, and gaming-related fraud.

Further investigations are underway to trace broader connections to interstate and international networks involved in cyber fraud.