Cyber crime racket busted in Sakinaka, mastermind, 3 aides arrested

Examination of the main accused’s mobile phone and social media chats revealed that he had been sending bank account details, cheque books, debit cards, and SIM cards linked to the accounts to handlers in Dubai

MUMBAI: In a major crackdown on cross-border cybercrimes, the police busted a racket that allegedly supplied bank credentials of Indians to Dubai-based frauds and arrested four men, including the alleged mastermind of the racket on Tuesday.

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According to the police, the main accused, Mohammed Masood Abdul Waseem, 25, and his aides, allegedly supplied bank account details of several people to foreign handlers involved in financial cyber crimes. Several mobile phones, cheque books, and SIM cards were recovered from their possession. The other three accused, apart from Waseem, have been identified as Abdulla Lare Ahmed Shaikh, 24, Noor Alam Ashiq Ali Khan, 42, and Manish Kotesh Nandala, 30. Two others, Abdul Khaliq Abdul Qadir Khan and Arbaaz Fazlani, are on the run, while the gang’s Indian-origin counterparts in Dubai, Mohsin and Zafar, are also wanted in the case.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team raided Hotel Gateway Star in Sakinaka on Tuesday and detained Waseem. Examination of his mobile phone and social media chats revealed that he had been sending bank account details, cheque books, debit cards, and SIM cards linked to the accounts to Mohsin and Zafar in Dubai. “We are now trying to trace the exact locations of the accused from Dubai,” said a Sakinaka police officer. The police also recovered multiple mobile phones, a passport, a UAE ID card, and seven SIM cards from Waseem.

During interrogation, Waseem led the police to Sai Guest House in Sakinaka, where his associates Abdulla, Noor, and Manish were arrested. Bank documents, debit cards, and SIM cards linked to fraudulent accounts were also seized from their possession.

Subsequently, a case was registered under Sections 318(4) (cheating) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.