Uttarakhand STF busts cyber crime gang in Pune

The Uttarakhand Special Task Force has busted an international gang involved in large-scale cyber crimes in Pune, Maharashtra, and arrested three people. They used to cheat people on the pretext of marriage and business.

Dehradun: As part of its ongoing operations against cyber crimes, the Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) has busted an international cyber crime gang in Pune, Maharashtra, and arrested a Nigerian youth and an Indian husband-wife couple. The gang, busted with the help of Pune cyber police, had spread its network all over the country to carry out large-scale frauds.

The STF recovered evidence in the form of bank cheque books, a large number of electronic gadgets and three passports from the accused.

According to the STF, preliminary investigation has revealed that the modus operandi of the gang used to have a foreign woman using matrimonial websites to propose friendship and marriage followed by big profits in business. In this way, it targeted people all over the country and defrauded them of lakhs and crores of rupees.

The STF has has recovered 10 mobile phones, 76 active SIM cards, three passports, 15 bank cheque books, two net setter devices and other types of electronic gadgets from the possession of this international cyber gang.

According to the STF, a resident of Dehradun had complained of being defrauded of Rs 17,10,000 by this same gang. The complainant was lured by a foreign woman on a matrimonial website who proposed friendship and marriage followed by an offer to do business.

According to Uttarakhand STF SSP Ajay Singh, the main leader of this cyber gang operating from Pune is a Nigerian citizen, while an Indian man and his wife are also involved. Investigation revealed that the woman first befriended the Nigerian accused's Indian friend to join this gang and then after getting married, became a partner in the crime of cheating people through matrimonial websites.

Singh said that initial interrogation of the accused revealed that the network of this gang is spread nationally and internationally. Major cyber crimes carried out by this gang are expected to be exposed.