Rajkot: Rajkot cybercrime police made several arrests last week for allegedly renting bank accounts to cybercriminals. They discovered that one suspect, Vipul Desai from Patan, allegedly controlled around 170 bank accounts linked to the cyber fraud operations in India run by a Cambodian gang.
Earlier this month, an elderly man fell victim to cybercriminals using the ‘digital arrest’ modus operandi. They threatened him with money laundering charges and made him transfer Rs 56 lakh to different bank accounts. The subsequent investigation led to the arrest of eight people.
Speaking to TOI, Cybercrime Police Station Inspector BB Jadeja said, “Vipul Desai, who hails from Patan, operated more than 170 bank accounts. He convinced people to rent accounts to him and used them to receive cyber fraud proceeds and withdraw money. cash.”
Police said Desai sent this money through angadia channels to a contact in Surat. “The money would then be converted into cryptocurrency. We discovered that a gang operating from Cambodia was involved in the fraud committed in India. The accused alleged that certain Chinese nationals were also involved,” Jadeja added.
Desai’s connection with the suspect from Surat stemmed from their proximity to a relative of Desai. While this person has been arrested, authorities are withholding his identity while pursuing two other absconding suspects from Surat.
Those arrested are Mahek Jotaniya (24), a student from Junagadh; Hiren Suba (31) from Junagadh; Mahmood Rizwan Pathan (35) from Ahmedabad; Paresh Chaudhary (29) and Kalpesh Chaudhary (24) from Patan; and Vipul Nayak (54) from Ahmedabad.
These suspects maintained contact with Desai and made their bank accounts available. Hiren Suba claimed that he was involved in cryptocurrency investments but could not provide any proof. Vipul Nayak has been linked to an accused who was earlier arrested by Haryana Police in a cybercrime case.
The Rajkot police are tracing the money deposited in the accounts controlled by Desai while working with other police stations who have been notified and asked to share relevant case information.