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Nationwide Raids Target 'Digital Arrest' Rings as Police Push Banks to Speed Freezes

Police say the fraud funnels money through mule accounts to overseas handlers, prompting a push for faster bank freezes.

Overview

  • Andhra Pradesh’s Bhimavaram police dismantled a 14-member network linked to Cambodia, arresting 13 suspects, recovering ₹42 lakh in cash and freezing about ₹19 lakh, while key operative Rahate J. Nayan remains absconding.
  • Mumbai’s Regional Cyber Police arrested 13 across seven Maharashtra districts in 10 days as the city logged 142 ‘digital arrest’ cases totaling ₹114 crore through October.
  • At a Cyberabad police meeting, banks were told to set up dedicated cyber-response desks with 1–3 day turnarounds, strengthen KYC to curb mule accounts, and execute freeze orders without delay.
  • Parallel actions included four arrests by Delhi Police in an inter-state racket routing funds through hundreds of accounts, two mule-account arrests in Noida tied to a ₹5.6 crore case, and fresh arrests and cash seizures reported in Jharkhand and ongoing probes in Indore.
  • Authorities highlighted severe harm to victims, noting a Kadapa pensioner’s death after losing ₹1.62 crore and warning of a newer ploy where callers invoke terror-funding claims to coerce seniors.