Key link in cyberfraud chain busted in Limbayat house

Surat: Cybercrime police busted a racket operating from a house in Limbayat that played a crucial role in cyberfraud cases across the country — withdrawing fraud proceeds using ATM cards of banks immediately after it was siphoned off and deposited in the accounts.During the raid, police seized Rs 18.50 lakh in cash, along with debit cards, SIM cards, bank passbooks, cheque books, mobile phones and a cash-counting machine.Police said the accused in this link of the fraud chain were tasked only with rapidly withdrawing cash from bank accounts using ATM cards used to receive money from cyberfraud victims, ensuring that the funds could not be traced or frozen in time.The police arrested Bhavesh Shinde (22) and booked two others — Harish Chaudhary and Rishikesh Shinde — who are currently absconding.According to the FIR, cybercrime police received a tip-off that Shinde was involved in a cyberfraud operation. He was nabbed while allegedly going to deliver cash to the two co-accused. During questioning, he led police to a house in Subhashnagar area of Limbayat from where they operated. Police raided the premises and broke open a locked room.Inside, officers recovered Rs 18.50 lakh cash, 16 debit cards, 24 bank passbooks, six cheques, 40 sim cards, nine mobile phones, deposit slips and a cash-counting machine.Police also found details of several Bank of Maharashtra and Axis Bank accounts. Checks on the NCCRP portal revealed 56 cheating complaints worth Rs 47.44 crore linked to these accounts from multiple states including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, West Bengal, Telangana, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.During interrogation, Shinde told police that his role was to withdraw cash from various ATMs across the city. He claimed to have withdrawn around Rs 75 lakh over the past few months, which he handed over to the two main accused.Withdrew Rs 3.5 lakh dailyPolice said Shinde had also recruited several youths to withdraw money from ATMs in Bhatar, Adajan, Sahara Darwaja and City Light areas. Together they withdrew Rs 3 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh daily from different accounts.According to police, Harish and Rishikesh had so far paid Shinde Rs 50,000 for carrying out the withdrawals.