Cops bust international cyber fraud racket in Bengal's Siliguri

Police said that during the raid three youths were arrested and around 80 to 90 ATM cards, PAN cards, checkbooks and other incrimination documents were seized during the operation.

Siliguri (West Bengal): Police have busted an international fraud racket in West Bengal's Siliguri where fraudsters lured people with money to open bank accounts with their individual identity proofs and the account details were sold to cyber criminals who used it for hawala transactions.

The racket was busted on Friday during a joint operation by the Special Operation Group of Siliguri Police Commissionerate and the special team of Siliguri Police Station following a tip-off.

Police said that during the raid three youths were arrested and around 80 to 90 ATM cards, PAN cards, checkbooks, and other incrimination documents were seized during the operation.

The arrested have been identified as Sujit Singh, a resident of Notun Para of Ward No. 5 of Siliguri Municipal Corporation, Vijay Mahato, a resident of Patiramjot adjacent to Siliguri, and Rohit Adhikari, a resident of Ramghat. Siliguri Police Commissioner Akhilesh Chaturvedi said that the kingpin of the racket Abhishek Bansal hails from the Khalpara area in Siliguri but is currently abroad adding that the search is on to nab him.

According to police sources said that an organization called Notun Para Charitable Trust was opened in Ward No. 5 of Siliguri Municipality. They further revealed that agents of the organization used to open bank accounts for ordinary poor people by offering Rs 7000-8000 as an inducement or government assistance.

They further revealed that the fraudsters would collect the ATM cards showing the passbooks of the accounts and pay the account holders immediately ensuring that they will bring others in the lure of getting more cash.

Police sources said that the accused stored the account information in their own database and later sold them to cyber criminals at high prices to be used in hawala transactions and other fraudulent activities.

"These accounts were mainly sold to cybercriminals. The search is on for the kingpin. We suspect several others are involved in this ring," Siliguri Police Commissioner Akhilesh Chaturvedi told ETV Bharat.