Gang running cybercrime racket from MP arrested, 8 held

Surat: The city Cybercrime police busted an illegal online betting and gaming racket operating through a website and arrested nine persons from Rewa city in Madhya Pradesh. Investigators found that the gang used the betting platform to circulate and launder money siphoned off through cyberfrauds across the country.Police said the accused were linked to 110 cyberfraud complaints across 21 states involving Rs 19.24 crore routed through 391 bank accounts. The racket came to light during the investigation of a cybercrime case registered in Surat.According to police, a Western Railway employee from the city lost Rs 8.12 lakh after being lured with the promise of pension. The callers posed as officials from the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) office and convinced him to transfer the money.During the probe, Cybercrime cops arrested Pranshu Pathak, who had received a part of the siphoned money. During interrogation, he revealed that a gang involved in cyberfraud and online betting was operating from a rented flat in Rewa.A police team raided the flat and arrested eight persons — Gulfam Hussain, Abhinav Pandey, Samir Hussain, Dharmaraj Vishwakarma, Aditya Sahani, Aftab Hussain, Taufiq Ali and Shahnawaz Ali.Police said the accused were operating a website called BetBook247com, a gaming platform through which they issued betting IDs to users and allowed them to place bets. The cyberfraud proceeds were used to settle payments to bettors who won.During the raid, police seized 27 mobile phones, three laptops, 51 debit cards, 13 SIM cards, 23 bank passbooks, four account books and a router. Investigators also found details of 391 bank accounts from the premises.Of the 21 states, highest 16 complaints are registered in Rajasthan.Police have formed teams to trace the alleged masterminds of the racket, identified as Chetan and Shubham.