A major cyber fraud involving transactions worth ₹547 crore linked to fraudulent call centres based abroad has been busted with the arrest of 18 persons by the V M Banjar police in Khammam district on Sunday (January 11).
The main accused in the cyber fraud case, identified as Potru Manoj Kalyan, a native of Sathupalli town, has already been arrested and sent in remand, the police said.
The fraud came to light after Saikiran of Tumburu village in Sathupalli mandal lodged a complaint against the main accused in the racket on December 24 last year.
A detailed investigation into the case led to the arrest of the kingpin of the cyber fraud and subsequent arrest of 17 other persons for their alleged links with the cyber fraud network.
The police identified Praveen as the kingpin of the racket and Udathaneni Vikas Chowdary, Potru Praveen and Morampdu Chenna Keshava, all natives of Khammam district, as the members of the cybercrime syndicate.
Addressing the media at V M Banjar police station on Sunday, Khammam Police Commissioner Sunil Dutt said the accused were involved in a large-scale, organised cyber fraud network.
The accused induced multiple individuals under the guise of employment, business opportunities and monetary incentives. They made them open the bank accounts which they operated in their names. These bank accounts were intentionally utilized for receiving, transferring and laundering the proceeds of cyber fraud. The accused in turn converted a portion of the swindled money into cryptocurrency. Efforts are on to nab six more accused who are at large.
During the investigation, the police discovered transactions to the tune of a staggering ₹114.18 crore in the bank account of Manoj Kalyan and ₹45.62 crore in two separate bank accounts of his wife Bhanupriya, ₹135.48 crore in his brother-in-law M. Satish’s bank account, ₹81.72 crore in Nagalakshmi’s bank account and ₹92.54 crore in Karimnagar-based Tatikonda Raju’s bank account and ₹80.41 crore in Vikas’s bank account.
Curated by Dr. Elena Rodriguez
