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Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Police’s intelligence unit arrested seven persons for allegedly operating an organised cybercrime syndicate targeting foreigners and locals with transactions running into crores.
Officials said that the Police’s Counter-Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) and Criminal Investigations Department (CID), based on technical and credible inputs on the functioning of a covert call centre engaged in fraudulent online activities, set up special teams.
During systematic surveillance, digital intelligence gathering and verification across multiple locations, a key operational hub was identified at the Rangreth Industrial Area on the outskirts of Srinagar.
“Seven suspects were apprehended during a raid on the spot, and a large quantity of digital and communication equipment was seized, including 13 mobile phones, nine laptops, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) systems, SIM cards and networking devices, digital storage media, etc.,” said an official statement.
A case under cheating, criminal conspiracy and relevant sections of the Information Technology (IT) Act has been filed against them.
The seized material contains substantial incriminating evidence, clearly indicating a highly organised and technologically advanced criminal setup, the statement added.
According to the preliminary investigation, the accused were part of a larger, well-coordinated cybercrime syndicate with linkages extending beyond Jammu & Kashmir.
A part of the network was specifically designed to target victims in countries such as the USA, the UK and Canada, it said.
“They would operate through international communication-masking technologies, use psychological manipulation and impersonation tactics and launder money through modern digital and cryptocurrency channels,” the official added.
The accused had established a covert, unregistered call centre infrastructure using VoIP-based systems, enabling them to generate international virtual numbers.
They would mask their real location using server routing and spoofing techniques and appear as legitimate service providers to unsuspecting victims, it said.
The official said that international calls were being generated and routed through the call centre with a fake YahooMail.com website and Google advertisements used to target victims.
The modus operandi, according to the CIK, includes approaching individuals in multiple countries through organised call operations and online phishing ads.
“Once a victim clicked on the advertisement, a toll-free number appeared on their screen. This toll-free number was operated by the suspects, who then deceived innocent people into providing their banking and other personal details,” it said.
Subsequently, the funds were transferred into several accounts, including mule accounts and cryptocurrency wallets (primarily USDT). The illicit proceeds were further layered, converted and withdrawn to conceal their origin, the CIK said.
“But no cash transactions were involved, highlighting the fully digital and sophisticated nature of the crime. The transactions carried out so far seem to be running into several crores,” it said with a probe underway to apprehend more suspects.
The CIK said that they are trying to identify victims and trace financial flows and the wider network, including national and international linkages.
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