7 from Bengal named in Myanmar and Cambodia cyber fraud FIR

Kolkata: West Bengal Police's Cyber Crime Wing filed an FIR alleging that seven Bengal residents were ‘willing' to be part of an organised transnational cyber fraud network operating from Myanmar, Cambodia and other South-East Asian countries.The accused named in the complaint are Avik Mistry, Somnath Panda, Sourav Mondal, Anik Bhowmik, Dipankar Jana, Pollob Debnath and Souvik Mondal. Cops stated that another 15 Bengal residents repatriated from Myanmar, along with these seven, were ‘trapped' and ‘seems primarily to be in bonded labour'. However, further investigations will be conducted. The FIR was lodged based on the interrogation of 22 repatriated Indians from Bengal on Nov 19 and 20. The complaint alleged that over the past few years, they — and other Indians — engaged in organised cyber fraud from Myanmar and other countries, targeting victims in India, the United States and elsewhere, generating profits estimated to go beyond 100 crores.Inspector Ranajit Mukherjee of the Cyber Crime Wing filed a complaint on Tuesday. The FIR was registered at the Eco Park Police Station under sections 318(2), 318(4), 319, 308, 336, 143, 144, 145, 146, 61 and 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The complaint alleged the frauds included investment scams, matrimonial fraud and job fraud, among other cyber-enabled crimes. It further alleged the network was controlled primarily by foreigners. It involved human trafficking, illegal confinement, use of illegal IT tools and applications to hack devices, and laundering of proceeds through cryptocurrency and hawala channels.The complaint stated that the case was initiated after an email from the deputy commissioner of police, i4C, Delhi police, on Nov 13, regarding the repatriation of about 360 Indians from KK Park, Myanmar, by the govt of India through special flights on Nov 18 and 19. According to the complaint, agents lured youths with job offers such as data entry operator and receptionist roles in Thailand, arranged travel and logistics, received recruits at airports and transported them to KK Park, Myanmar, and other locations. Some were allegedly forcibly confined and made to commit frauds targeting victims in India.Mukherjee requested that the complaint be treated as an FIR to avoid multiple investigations. "More arrests are likely," said a DIG from the Cyber Crime Wing, which is leading the probe.