Mumbai Crime Branch has seized 128 ATM cards, 57 mobile phones and 17 laptops after busting an interstate cyber fraud gang from Goa for allegedly carrying out online financial fraud by operating multiple bank accounts and updating SIM cards through fraudulent means, officials said on Thursday.
They said that the probe has led to the arrest of as many as 12 members of the gang.
According to the police, the accused were involved in cyber fraud, online gaming operations and illegal financial transactions. The arrests were made following an investigation linked to an earlier case registered at Pydhonie Police Station in Mumbai.
Investigation led police to Goa
During the investigation, police discovered links between the accused and a larger cyber crime network operating from Goa. Acting on the information, a team from the Crime Branch's Detection Unit-II travelled to Goa and conducted raids at a villa in Candolim on August 4, 2026.
The operation resulted in the arrest of 12 suspects allegedly involved in the racket.
Police seized a large quantity of electronic devices and financial documents from the accused, including 17 laptops, 128 ATM cards, 57 mobile phones, 76 SIM cards, 22 cheque books, 77 passbooks, nine routers, three keyboards and two modems.
Investigators believe the gang used various online platforms and channels to persuade victims to transfer money into accounts controlled by the accused.
Fraud carried out through online gaming
According to the police, the accused allegedly used online gaming applications and cyber fraud schemes to route money through different bank accounts. Victims were reportedly asked to deposit money into designated accounts under the pretext of online gaming and other financial transactions.
Police suspect that the gang members earned commissions of around three per cent on the transactions they facilitated and the racket was being operated from Dubai in United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Complaints received from across the country
An analysis of the bank accounts linked to the accused revealed that several cyber fraud complaints had been registered from different parts of the country.
Police said that the national cyber crime helpline, 1930, had received at least 83 complaints related to the racket.
The accused were produced before a court, which remanded them to police custody until August 11, 2026.
Senior officers supervised the operation
The operation was carried out under the guidance of senior Mumbai Police officials, including Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Anil Kumbhare, Additional Commissioner of Police Krishna Kant Upadhyay and Deputy Commissioner of Police Raj Tilak Roshan.
The raid was executed by officers of the Crime Branch's Detection Unit-II.
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