July 14th 2024.
In a recent development, three individuals have been apprehended by the Crime Branch in Bhubaneswar for engaging in cybercrime activities. Among the accused are two Nigerians who were arrested in New Delhi. According to sources, these individuals have been involved in duping a resident of Bhubaneswar of a whopping amount of Rs 2.65 crore. The promise of high returns on investment in the saffron business lured the victim into the trap set by these notorious criminals.
As per the statement given by CB inspector Bibhu Ranjan Sundaray, the culprits have been identified as Arati Gautam, Christoper Chizobam, and Nnamdi Stanley Mbamalu. The victim, who approached the Crime Branch on February 26, 2021, reported that he had been cheated by these fraudsters who contacted him through social media. The victim, who happens to be a resident of the Capital city, was initially approached by one of the accused on Facebook. Claiming to be a former Odisha cadre IAS officer working at the World Bank in Washington DC, the fraudster enticed the victim with the promise of a lucrative saffron supply project at the World Bank headquarters.
According to Inspector Sundaray, the victim's complaint revealed that during their social media interactions, the fraudster sent an email to the victim and asked him to contact the World Bank procurement department to express his interest in the project. The victim was then introduced to a supplier who posed as the Regional Manager at Organics Merchandise, a marketing agent for saffron farmers in India. The victim was convinced to invest in the project and started with an initial supply of 10 kg of saffron for testing. The quantity gradually increased to 110 kg as per the fake purchase order from the World Bank. In this process, the victim ended up transferring a sum of Rs 2,65,15,940 to various bank accounts maintained in India.
However, when the fraudster demanded more money, the victim realized the scam and approached the Cyber Crime police station. A case was registered based on the complaint under various sections of the IPC and IT Act, and a thorough investigation was initiated. Under the leadership of Inspector Sundaray, the team managed to apprehend Arati in New Delhi, following which the two Nigerians were also arrested. The search of their possessions yielded six mobile phones, two laptops, 10 SIM cards, 10 bank passbooks, two debit cards, and one Aadhaar card.
Further investigations revealed that Arati had opened bank accounts in her name and in the names of others, and Christoper used these accounts to transfer the fraudulently obtained money. Meanwhile, Nnamdi was responsible for collecting mule accounts to receive the stolen money and withdrawing the cash from ATMs, which he handed over to another Nigerian. The CB also found out that the gang was involved in a series of cyber frauds across the country, with their accounts being linked to around 94 cases in 10 different states.
This breakthrough was made possible through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal of I4C, which has been instrumental in identifying and tracking the activities of this notorious gang. As Inspector Sundaray stated, "Their accounts have been involved in around 94 cases covering 10 states across the nation." This successful operation by the Crime Branch has not only led to the arrest of these cybercriminals but has also brought a sense of relief to the victim and served as a warning to potential victims.
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