Guwahati (Assam): The Guwahati city has recently emerged as a focal point for fraudulent activities, with the local police force once again taking swift action to dismantle a large-scale 'Holiday' coupon scam. In a successful operation conducted on Wednesday night, the Guwahati Police apprehended 19 individuals involved in this elaborate deception.
The fraudsters had been operating under the guise of two reputed companies, Ritz Carlton and Club Vistana Vacation. Their modus operandi involved contacting unsuspecting individuals and falsely promising complimentary luxury holiday offers and travel discounts, only to abscond with substantial sums of money.
This crackdown came to fruition following a complaint filed by doctors from Guwahati Metro Hospital, prompting the Basistha Police to launch a targeted operation. DCP Gautam Bora provided crucial insights into the operation during a recent press conference.
The police, acting on the doctors' complaint, executed a raid at 'Hotel Green Wood,' leading to the capture of seven fraudsters. Subsequent interrogations led to yet another operation at 'Hotel Maa Kamakhya' in Paltan Bazzar, resulting in the arrest of an additional 12 culprits, including a female member of the gang.
During these raids, law enforcement officers seized 23 mobile phones, four swipe machines, two laptops, identity cards, various documents, and a phone book containing contact details, with a majority of entries belonging to doctors. Approximately 10 individuals from Assam had already fallen victim to the fraudsters, with reported losses reaching up to Rs 30,000 per victim.
However, the police are yet to recover the stolen funds, as further investigations are underway. Notably, all the arrested fraudsters hail from outside the state, with a significant number originating from Delhi, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Patna.
The individuals apprehended in this operation have been identified as Chandan Singh, Sajal Kumar, Chandan Kumar, Pradeep Kumar, M. Sabaz Alam, Sabir Ali Sarthak, Nirmal Kumar Mishra, Feroz Malik, Prahlad Kumar Singh, Pankaj Gandhi, Aniket Prasad, Sanjay Singh Roy, Ajaz Ali, Sahil Ahmed, Shivam, Neeraj, Morvin Messi, and Aparna.
This operation follows hot on the heels of another successful crackdown by the Guwahati Police, wherein they dismantled eight fake call centres and arrested hundreds of fraudulent operators.
Also read: Heroin worth Rs 6 crore seized along Assam-Nagaland border in Karbi Anglong in two days
