Noida: Punjab cops nab 7 nationals of Ghana, Nigeria for fraud; seize 79 phones, 99 SIMs
The Mohali Cyber Crime Cell of the Punjab Police has busted an international racket of fraudsters by arresting seven nationals of Nigeria and Ghana from a rented accommodation in Noida from where they were allegedly operating a fake call centre, police said on Saturday. The accused, all men, were sent to two-day police remand by a Mohali court.
During the raid, police seized 79 smartphones, four laptops (including two Apple MacBooks), 99 SIM cards (Indian and foreign), and documents related to 31 fake bank accounts. The total value of the seized items is estimated to be around `30 lakh. Transactions worth approximately `15 crore were traced through the bank accounts, police said.
Mohali SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans said the suspects are aged between 25 and 35 years and are all educated. The accused allegedly used fake social media profiles on social media platforms to befriend Indian and foreign nationals.
SSP Hans said preliminary probe suggest the gang possibly duped over 350 people. 'Using advanced cyber tools and covert strategies, our team managed to apprehend the culprits.'
The police said the gang would lure people by promising expensive gifts sent from abroad. Later, they would say that customs have held the parcel and demand money on the pretext of clearance charges or taxes. The scammers would share a bank account number with people and ask to deposit a specified sum.
The operation was led by DSP Rupinderdeep Kaur Sohi who said the house where the gang was operating from was taken on rent by a Nigerian woman whose whereabouts is yet to be traced.
DSP Sohi said the bank accounts used by the gang were opened in private banks and probe is on to determine the names of the accountholders and how the SIM cards were obtained. She also said the scammers also targeted Nigerian citizens, deceiving them with fake job offers in India.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Plane crash: DNA matching completed for 251 bodies, 24 handed over to families
Ahmedabad: DNA matching has been completed for 251 victims of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, with 245 bodies already handed over to their families as of Sunday, said Dr. Rakesh Joshi, superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Aviation personnel carry the coffin of plane crash victim Kongbrailatpam Nganthoi Sharma, a cabin crew member of the Air India flight AI171, during her funeral ceremony at the international airport in Imphal on Sunday. (AFP) He confirmed that two of these bodies are scheduled to be handed over tonight and will subsequently be transported to the United Kingdom for final rites. Three families have scheduled for June 23 and one family will be handed over on June 25, he added. Dr. Joshi said that among the 245 deceased whose DNA matched successfully, 176 are Indian citizens, 7 Portuguese, 49 British citizens, one Canadian, and 12 non-passengers. The DNA profiling was necessitated as the impact of the crash left most victims unidentifiable. So far, the bodies of 20 non-passengers have been handed over to the families of the victims which include eight bodies, visually identifiable, that were handed over to their families last week, including four doctors, without the need for DNA matching. The crash occurred on June 12 when a London-bound Air India Dreamliner aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 241 of the 242 passengers and crew members onboard. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a 40-year-old British national of Indian origin, emerged as the lone survivor, defying the odds in one of India's deadliest aviation disasters. The impact devastated a nearby medical college residential block, claiming several lives on the ground. At least 30 non-passengers have died due to the crash. Dr. Joshi provided a detailed breakdown of the 245 bodies handed over to families across multiple regions and states. A total of 175 bodies were handed over to families in Gujarat, with Ahmedabad receiving 70, followed by Anand (26) and Vadodara (24). Other Gujarat locations include Surat (12), Kheda (11), Bharuch (7), Gandhinagar (7), Mehsana (7), Gir Somnath (5), Rajkot (3), Patan (3), Dwarka (2), Jamnagar (2), Khambhat (2), Amreli (2), Aravalli (2), and one each from Junagadh, Mahisagar, Bhavnagar, Botad, Palanpur, Nadiad, Sabarkantha, and Modasa. Outside Gujarat, 34 bodies were handed over across other Indian states. Maharashtra received 12 bodies (including 10 in Mumbai), Rajasthan 3 (including 1 in Jodhpur), and one each from Patna, Pune, Nagaland, and Manipur. Additionally, 14 bodies were handed over in Diu, the Union Territory. Ten bodies were sent to London, while 12 non-passenger casualties were also included in the total count. Lawrence Danielbhai Christian, a member of CNI Church Maninagar who died in the plane crash, was laid to rest on Sunday, according to a person close to the family. His funeral service was held at 12 noon in the Ramol area of Ahmedabad. The 30-year-old had come to India to bury his father, but two weeks later, the family was mourning another tragic loss.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Begusarai engineer trapped in Iran, kin request govt for his safe return
Begusarai: The family members of Syed Saifullah (31), an engineer from Bihar, are having sleepless nights since the escalation of tension between Iran and Israel. Saifullah, who had reached Iran on a 30-day work visa on June 12, found himself trapped the very next day following the escalating Iran-Israel tension. His brother Syed Asdullah Azad, who submitted an application to the district magistrate's office on Saturday requesting his safe return, said on Sunday that they last talked to Saifullah over phone on June 17 night. "Since then, he has been incommunicado," Azad said. Saifullah, a native of Bari Balia village under Balia police station of Begusarai district, works for a private construction company. "He had been assigned to do a plant shutdown job, along with about 30-35 other people of his company, in the city of Arak in Iran. He told me that had he had any inkling of the impending situation, he would not have reported for duty," Azad said. Saifullah's father Syed Rahmatullah said that his son had informed the family members that his colleagues and he had been shifted to the township of the refinery plant concerned. "Still, we have been rattled by the worsening situation there, besides our failure to communicate with him," he said, adding they have requested the prime minister's office, external affairs ministry and the Indian embassy to ensure his safe return. Azad said the construction company has also not been able to contact them. Since then, Saifullah's mother and wife have been offering prayers for his safe return.
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Iraqi national without valid visa held at India-Nepal border in Bihar
PATNA: An Iraqi national was arrested while attempting to cross over into Nepal from the India-Nepal border near Raxaul in Bihar's East Champaran district late on Saturday evening, officials confirmed on Sunday. The individual, identified as Bara Fauzi Hamid Al Bayati, a resident of Al Dora in Baghdad, had reportedly been staying in Indian territory since June 16 this year without a valid visa. Authorities are now investigating how he managed to enter the country and remain undetected for several days. A senior police officer in East Champaran stated that Al Bayati was detained at the Raxaul border while attempting to cross into Nepal to catch a flight from Kathmandu to Saudi Arabia. 'He was detained after his behaviour raised suspicion,' the officer said. Kishan Kumar Paswan, Station House Officer (SHO) of Haraiya police station, confirmed that the Iraqi national was not in possession of any valid documents permitting entry into India. Although Al Bayati claimed to be an engineer, officials have yet to determine his true purpose for entering the country, Paswan added.
