Bhubaneswar: After arresting 12 members of an interstate cybercrime syndicate, a team of the Commissionerate Police from Bhubaneswar apprehended three more accused of the gang from Bihar.
The arrested gang members, all residents of Katrisarai block in Nalanda district of Bihar, were part of a syndicate that allegedly collected nearly Rs 20-25 lakh each month by duping victims across several states through fraudulent gift vouchers, lottery scams and instant loan schemes.
The three, arrested on Monday, have been identified by the police as Chandan Kumar (40), Pankaj Kumar (3
8), and Rishi Kumar (27).
Police sources indicated that the number of arrests in the case could rise further, as investigators suspect that the gang has its network in Kolkata.
The 15 arrested members ran a makeshift call centre from the Bhubaneswar residence of Debasis Tripathy, who was among the 12 scammers arrested on Sunday.
Police said the gang, with members from Bihar and Kerala, targeted victims in their respective states, speaking in local languages to gain trust. Unlike high-value online investment or ‘digital arrest’ scams, the syndicate eyed on smaller amounts ranging from Rs 10,000-15,000.
A senior police official said that many victims, especially in Kerala, Bihar, and Kolkata, did not lodge complaints because the fraud involved relatively small amounts. Even when complaints were filed, there was a possibility that the local police often treated them with less urgency, Further investigation is in progress to ascertain the exact network of the racket.