25-yr-old man from Assam, linked to digital fraud worth 1,071 cr, arrested in Gujarat

A 25-year-old man from Assam, identified as Rafikul Alam, has been arrested in Gujarat by the Cyber Centre of Excellence. According to officials, Alam is linked to a cybercrime network allegedly run by Chinese operators. The investigation revealed that he was involved in 1,090 cyber crimes across India, totaling ₹1,071.55 crore.

Alam allegedly acted as a key financial handler, routing money obtained from digital frauds through multiple bank accounts to evade surveillance. He reportedly split large sums into smaller amounts and transferred them through 1,754 bank accounts within an hour. The funds were then converted into cryptocurrency for the foreign-based network.

Police discovered that Alam was in direct contact with the alleged Chinese handlers through WhatsApp and Telegram. He exchanged sensitive information, such as scanners, user IDs, passwords, and cryptocurrency wallet details with the handlers.

The investigation also led to the recovery of details of 23 cryptocurrency wallets from Alam's mobile phone, with transactions exceeding ₹16 crore. This intervention helped prevent ten ongoing digital arrest frauds across Gujarat and other states, saving potential victims from transferring money to fraudulent accounts.

One notable case involved a senior citizen in Ahmedabad who was placed under a fake digital arrest. Fraudsters posed as Nashik Police officials, threatening to implicate him in a child pornography case and demanded ₹20 lakh. The police team intervened, counseling the victim and stopping the payment before it was transferred.

The police team conducted three days of surveillance in Barpeta, Assam, before raiding Alam's house. They seized technical devices and registered three FIRs against him under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, including Section 66(D) of the IT Act.