April 26th 2024.
On Thursday night in Lucknow, a team from the UP Special Task Force made an arrest that sent shockwaves through the city. They apprehended the India head of the popular Mahadeva gaming app, along with his associate, from a posh locality in Gomti Nagar. The two men were identified as Abhay Singh and Sanjeev Singh, both hailing from Deoria.
According to officials from the STF, the arrest was made after they received information from their network of informers. The team found 276 pre-activated SIM cards from various companies, four mobile phones, a luxury car, and other items in their possession. Upon questioning, the accused confessed to running a massive scam that involved duping unsuspecting individuals through the use of these SIM cards.
The accused revealed that they had managed to get their hands on 32 corporate SIMs, which they then transferred into the names of fake companies. They had also sent 4,000 SIM cards to their associates in Dubai to carry out the scam on their behalf. The STF further revealed that the gaming app offered a variety of card games, including 'Teen Patti', poker, 'Dragon Tiger' and virtual cricket, among others. The platform had also been accused of match-fixing, money laundering, and rigging games to ensure profits for the owners and heavy losses for players.
The Additional Superintendent of Police, Vishal Vikram Singh, stated that Abhay's cousin, Abhishek Singh, who lived in Dubai, had roped him into the scam. He promised Abhay a monthly salary of Rs 25,000 and Rs 500 per SIM card. Abhay began purchasing the SIM cards, which were then transferred to different companies. In 2023, he was given a salary hike of Rs 75,000 per month and was tasked with the corporate SIM porting process. He also received prepaid SIMs from Chetan and received a commission of Rs 2,000 per activated SIM. Sanjeev supervised his work.
Abhay also revealed that he procured SIM cards from various cities, including Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Jaipur, Pune, Mumbai, and Odisha. The accused admitted to using WhatsApp and Telegram groups to lure innocent people into their scam. He further confessed that after the ED's crackdown on the Mahadeva app, the gang had moved on to other apps, such as Reddy Anna Book, Fairplay, Lotus 365, and more.
The STF team is currently investigating the matter further and has urged the public to be cautious while engaging in online gaming activities. They have also warned against falling prey to such scams and urged people to report any suspicious activities to the authorities. The accused have been taken into custody and will face the consequences of their fraudulent actions.
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