Surat man digitally 'arrested' for two days; accused nabbed in UP

Surat, July 18 (IANS) Surat Cyber Crime Cell has arrested a man from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh,for allegedly impersonating a Mumbai Police officer, threatening a person with arrest in a fabricated money laundering case and extorting Rs 7 lakh under the guise of a "digital arrest".

The accused, identified as Santosh Singh, reportedly contacted the victim claiming involvement in the Naresh Goyal money laundering case, alleging that suspicious transactions had been carried out using the complainant’s SIM card.

Over a two-day period, Singh allegedly "digitally detained" the victim keeping them under continuous coercion and psychological pressure while threatening formal charges unless money was paid.

Following a tip-off, cyber crime officials tracked Singh to Mathura and placed him under arrest. During questioning, he confessed to having rented out his bank account to a cyber fraud syndicate, in which over Rs 4 lakh of illicit funds were deposited.

Authorities have now named Naimesh Chaudhary and Pushpendra Bhola as co-conspirators and declared them wanted in connection with the case.

Investigations reveal that the gang used multiple bank accounts to route and withdraw extorted funds. The Surat Cyber Crime Cell has intensified its probe into the broader digital extortion network, which has seen a rise in recent months, especially cases involving impersonation of law enforcement agencies.

Digital arrest is a form of cyber fraud where scammers impersonate law enforcement or government officials often posing as police officers, CBI agents, or even RBI representatives -- and intimidate victims via video calls or messages.

They falsely accuse individuals of being involved in money laundering, drug trafficking, or other criminal cases, and then simulate a virtual “arrest” by keeping victims under psychological pressure through live video monitoring or threats of legal action.

In Gujarat, particularly in cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, and Rajkot, such cases have surged in recent years.

In response, the Gujarat government has ramped up cyber policing efforts by strengthening the Cyber Crime Cells in each district, conducting awareness campaigns, and collaborating with banks and telecom providers to track fraudulent transactions and phone numbers.

--IANS

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