The Delhi Police in India announced that in two separate crackdown operations, a total of 5 suspects involved in transnational fraud and money laundering were arrested, with the involved amount exceeding 3.6 million Indian Rupees. Investigations revealed that both cases were remotely orchestrated by fraud gangs outside of China, with some of the illicit money being converted into cryptocurrency and transferred to China.
In the first case, the Cyber Police Station of North Delhi arrested two men, Pawan and Mankiraat Dhillon, who lured victims to transfer money through a fake investment app amounting to 2.1 million Rupees. The fraud was facilitated through communications on Telegram and WhatsApp, following instructions from a Chinese gang, initially enticing victims with "high returns" and subsequently transferring the funds.
Upon investigation, the suspects used local bank accounts to withdraw cash for profit and had even traveled to Nepal to withdraw funds. They were arrested in Punjab state, and the police seized bank cards, mobile phones, and other tools used in the crime.
The second case was handled by the Cyber Police of the Southwest District, arresting Mahender Singh Rajawat, Ariph Khan, and Laxmi Narayan Vaishy. They attracted victim K Kant with the bait of "cashback for five-star reviews," initially making small repayments to gain trust, and later deceiving him out of 1.58 million Rupees under the pretext of "unfreezing funds."
Police used technical surveillance to track down and arrest the suspects across multiple locations in Rajasthan. It was found that this gang was also instructed by China and assisted in quickly converting the fraud proceeds into USDT, transferring it to China within 20 minutes, with highly covert methods.
The police pointed out that these two cases expose the increasingly active China-led cross-border telecom fraud network in India, utilizing fake apps, social platforms, cryptocurrencies, and local accounts in a professional and highly risky manner.
The five suspects have been charged under Sections 318(4) and 61(2) of the new Penal Code, and the investigation is still ongoing. The police warn the public not to trust high-return investments and online part-time jobs lightly, and to report any suspicious clues promptly.
