Morigaon Police bust Rs 20-Cr cyber fraud syndicate; 11 held
The arrested individuals include a school teacher, a goat trader, and 2 cybercriminals who were released from jail just four months ago;
The arrested individuals include a school teacher, a goat trader, and two cybercriminals who were released from jail just four months ago.
Guwahati, Jan 4: In a major crackdown on cyber financial crimes, police in Morigaon district arrested 11 individuals for allegedly using fake documents to fraudulently secure loans online.
According to Additional Superintendent of Police Samiran Baishya, the accused were part of a larger gang that orchestrated a Rs 20 crore scam using fake SIM cards, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and other counterfeit documents. The operation targeted several financial institutions through online platforms.
The arrested individuals include a school teacher, a goat trader, and two cybercriminals who were released from jail just four months ago.
Police have seized a large number of fake documents, including SIM cards, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, bank passbooks, chequebooks, and ATM cards.
The arrests were made following an extensive operation based on complaints from multiple financial companies.
“Such fraudulent activities have been on the rise in the region. Last year alone, Morigaon police arrested 226 cybercriminals from the district,” Baishya said.
He added that earlier in May 2024, simultaneous operations in Guwahati and Morigaon led to the arrest of 14 cybercriminals involved in duping banks and NBFCs of crores of rupees.
The latest operation yielded a significant haul, including 396 SIM cards, 11 PAN cards, 34 smartphones, three laptops, and two four-wheelers, further underscoring the scale of the syndicate’s activities.
Authorities have assured that investigations will continue to dismantle the network and ensure justice for the financial institutions affected by these crimes.
Amid a surge in online fraud across Assam, the state is poised to bolster its cybersecurity framework with the establishment of India’s second National Cyber Forensics Lab (NCFL).
The state-of-the-art facility will be housed at the Lachit Barphukan Police Academy in Dergaon, significantly enhancing Assam’s capacity to detect, prevent, and prosecute cybercrimes.
The foundation for this critical initiative was laid in September 2024 when the Assam Police and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) formalised the project through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
