Delhi Police has arrested two men for allegedly operating a mule bank account used to route proceeds linked to a Rs 2.10-crore digital arrest fraud, in a case involving a Janakpuri resident, an official said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Sonu Khan, 36, and Arjun Chaudhary, 38, were allegedly involved in managing bank accounts used to receive money connected to the cybercrime. Police recovered four mobile phones, six debit cards and 10 chequebooks during the arrests.
The investigation began after complaints were registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Police found that a bank account registered in Yamuna Vihar in northeast Delhi had received Rs 98,592 on October 12. The transaction was linked to a case registered by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations unit on a complaint from a Janakpuri resident who was allegedly cheated of around Rs 2.10 crore through a digital arrest scam.
According to police, Khan was traced to a shop dealing in disposable items in Ashok Nagar on October 23. Three mobile phones, debit cards and chequebooks were recovered from the premises, officials said.
During interrogation, Khan allegedly told investigators that Chaudhary had helped establish the shop and obtained control over his bank accounts in exchange for financial assistance. Police subsequently apprehended Chaudhary and recovered one mobile phone from him, a senior officer said.
The alleged use of a bank account registered in one part of Delhi and a shop operating in another location highlights the investigative challenge of tracing cybercrime transactions across the city. The police action is focused on identifying the movement of funds and determining the roles of other individuals who may have been involved.
The digital arrest fraud investigated in the case allegedly involved convincing the victim that he was under official investigation and inducing him to transfer money. The supplied police account does not provide further details of the impersonation or the communication used to obtain the funds.
Further investigation is underway to establish the money trail and ascertain the roles of the accused, Delhi Police said.
