In a significant crackdown on cybercrime, the Commissionerate Police arrested three individuals involved in sophisticated digital fraud schemes.
Two suspects, Vishal Ramesh and Milan Chauhan, were apprehended in Gujarat, while a local businessman, Sarbeshwar Patra, was arrested in Bhubaneswar.
The arrests follow a complaint lodged at the Cyber Police Station, exposing a Gujarat-based gang that used Skype to execute a “digital arrest” scam targeting an Odisha resident.
The gang allegedly deceived the victim by claiming that a parcel containing cannabis had been sent in their name. Under the pretext of a digital arrest, the fraudsters coerced the victim into taking a loan due to insufficient funds in their account, extracting Rs 6.94 lakh. Following the complaint, police managed to recover Rs 2 lakh for the victim. Vishal Ramesh, a 27-year-old eighth-grade dropout, was identified as a mastermind in cyber fraud, while Milan Chauhan, a tenth-grade dropout, operated a fake company on the Just Dial website, defrauding a Bhubaneswar businessman of Rs 14 lakh. Milan was part of a gang, three members of which were previously arrested.
In a parallel operation, police raided Shubham Communication, a shop in Kalinga Vihar, Bhubaneswar, and arrested Sarbeshwar Patra for selling pre-activated SIM cards used in cybercrimes. Several pre-activated SIMs were seized from the shop, highlighting the role of local enablers in facilitating such scams.
Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena confirmed the arrests and seizures, emphasising the police’s commitment to curbing cyber fraud.
The investigation revealed the gang’s sophisticated tactics, including leveraging digital platforms like Skype and fake websites to trap victims. The Commissionerate Police are continuing their probe to uncover additional accomplices and prevent further scams.
