Gandhinagar/Vadodara, April 18, 2026
A cyber fraud network linked to transactions worth more than Rs 210 crore has been uncovered, with six individuals arrested in a coordinated operation by the Cyber Centre of Excellence of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Crime in Gujarat, officials said on Saturday.
The arrests were made after a targeted raid in Vadodara based on specific intelligence, as part of intensified efforts to tackle rising cyber crime.
According to officials, the accused operated as part of an organised network with a common intention of financial gain.
They opened or facilitated the opening of multiple bank accounts in their own names as well as in the names of other individuals, and provided these accounts for routing funds linked to cyber crime and online gaming activities.
They obtained bank account kits and SIM cards from account holders and used them to withdraw money through banks and ATMs using cheques and debit cards.
“The accused acted in a coordinated manner with a common intention of financial gain by opening or procuring multiple bank accounts and facilitating the transfer and withdrawal of funds obtained through cyber fraud,” officials added.
“They also provided bank accounts and SIM cards to their associates to enable the siphoning of fraud proceeds,” officials said.
The six arrested have been identified as Abdul Kabir Mohammad Ilyas Pathan, Vivek Vanzara, Mayank Bairwa, Rohit Varma, Mohit Rawal and Dipesh Rajpurohit, also known as Montu.
Police said Pathan opened multiple bank accounts and withdrew fraudulent funds for others, while Vanzara opened accounts in his own and his associates’ names and earned commissions.
Bairwa assisted in operating bank accounts, Varma withdrew money and earned commissions, and Rawal facilitated links through a mobile shop.
Rajpurohit was identified as the main operator handling a network of around 40 bank accounts.
During the operation, officers seized 11 mobile phones, 12 cheque books, five passbooks, 39 debit cards, a laptop, and 10 QR codes used for bank payments.
Officials said preliminary analysis of the recovered bank account details revealed links to more than 273 cyber fraud cases registered across the country on the national cybercrime reporting portal.
The frauds are estimated to involve a total amount of Rs 2,10,70,52,247.
“In the entire case, more than 50 bank account details were recovered from the mobile phones of the accused, which were used by interstate and international gangs to commit offences across various states of the country,” officials noted.
Investigators said the frauds linked to the network included digital arrest scams, investment fraud, UPI-related fraud, deposit fraud, loan fraud, part-time job fraud and gaming-related fraud.
Further investigation is ongoing, including efforts to trace wider links to interstate and international networks involved in cyber fraud.(Agency)
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