Cybercrime racket with Dubai links busted in Rajasthan, one arrested

Jaipur(The Uttam Hindu): In a breakthrough, police on Wednesday busted an international cyber fraud network operating from Dubai with the arrest of a person from Jaipur. accused, identified as Yashwant Singh Panwar (21), a resident of Gurjar Basti, Shastri Nagar, Jaipur, from Sirsi Road, was arrested and 61 active mobile SIMs, two mobile phones, and a bike were seized from his posession.

According to Additional Director General of Police Dinesh MN, intelligence teams under Deputy Inspector General Yogesh Yadav and Additional Superintendent of Police Siddhant Sharma were tasked with tracking cybercriminal gangs.  Their investigation revealed that this racket procured active SIM cards from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, which were delivered to Jaipur via flight couriers. The police team received a tip-off about the shipment of fraudulent SIMs and soon it was deployed for surveillance and verification.

The suspect was found waiting at a tea stall near Kalra Petrol Pump on Sirsi Road. As the police approached, he attempted to flee but was quickly apprehended with the SIMs. During interrogation, the accused revealed that the SIMs were provided by his associate Abhishek alias Anna, a resident of Lalarpura, Gandhipath West, Jaipur, who currently operates from Dubai. Abhishek is suspected of running a call centre for carrying out cyber fraud, using these SIMs for illegal activities such as online gaming scams and digital fraud.

Investigations indicate that the gang operates an office in Jaipur equipped with SIM box devices, which can house 30-40 SIMs at a time. These devices are used to activate Indian SIM numbers remotely, enabling cybercriminals in Dubai to carry out fraudulent activities. Further interrogation led to the identification of additional gang members, including Yogendra Khinchi alias Rony, Roki and Guru (Punjab), Indra and Jatin (Hanumangarh Junction), and Harmeet Singh. The police suspect that several more fake SIM cards are in circulation.

The accused will be produced in court, and a remand request will be sought for further investigation into the racket's operations and financial transactions.