New Delhi [India], May 24 (ANI): Delhi Police have arrested four people in connection with a cyber fraud case involving a digital arrest scam that duped a Japanese company manager of over Rs 31 lakh, officials said on Saturday.

According to officials, the extensive investigation spanned nearly a year and involved raids across multiple states, including Rajasthan, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Delhi.

The complainant, Rahul Iqbal, a manager based in Yamuna Vihar, Delhi, and employed with a Japanese firm, reported the fraud in May 2024. He said that he received a call from a person claiming to be an employee of a reputed courier service. The caller alleged that a parcel sent by Rahul to Taiwan contained illegal items such as passports and drugs, and the complaint had been forwarded to the Mumbai Cyber Crime Branch.

Subsequently, another caller impersonated Sub-Inspector Naresh Gupta Banerjee, accusing Rahul of involvement in money laundering, drug trafficking, and terrorism. He was coerced to participate in a 'Mumbai investigation' under threat of arrest and was instructed to download Skype and avoid communication with others. The fraudsters collected sensitive personal and financial details and induced Rahul to transfer Rs 30,85,592 into dummy RBI accounts as 'verification' against money laundering charges, police said.

The Cyber Police Station, North East Delhi, registered an FIR under IPC sections 419, 420, 120B, and 109, and handed over the probe to Sub Inspector Anuplata Yadav, they said.

Investigations revealed that Rs 20,10,000 of the defrauded amount was transferred to Punjab National Bank accounts linked to 'Satish Traders,' a non-existent firm registered under false documents, including UDYAM registration, MSME certificate, and municipal licenses. The account was opened under the proprietorship of Satish Kumar Singh, a 34-year-old resident of Jharkhand, the police said.

Satish Kumar Singh was arrested following raids in Delhi. He is allegedly a key beneficiary, receiving approximately Rs 2 crores through the fraudulent accounts. During the arrest, police recovered SIM cards and mobile phones used to procure false documents, they said.

Further probes uncovered a syndicate running a scheme to open fake current accounts for receiving illicit funds obtained via digital arrest threats. Three more suspects were detained from Sirsa, including two account holders and one account provider linked to the fraud ring, they said.

Delhi Police have frozen the fraudulent accounts and, under court orders, Rs 11.5 lakhs have been refunded to the complainant, they said, adding the police are actively pursuing three to four more accused believed to be part of the gang, with ongoing raids underway. (ANI)