Authorities in Surat have apprehended four individuals linked to a fraudulent scheme known as ‘digital arrest,’ which resulted in a 69-year-old victim from Valsad losing more than Rs 1.11 crore. The victim was misled by criminals impersonating officials from the CBI and Crime Branch, who claimed his bank accounts were implicated in a money laundering investigation.
The Valsad Cyber Crime Police reported that Alok Kumar Maity, a resident of Umargam taluka, received a phone call in 2024 from a group of scammers posing as representatives from Mumbai’s Cyber Crime unit, the CBI, and TRAI. They informed him that his Aadhaar card, mobile number, and bank account were linked to the money laundering activities of Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal. The scammers urged him to join a Skype call for verification.
During the call, Maity was allegedly subjected to a “digital arrest” and was shown a counterfeit document that falsely indicated his bail had been rejected by the Supreme Court. Following their directives, he transferred a total of Rs 1.11 crore from both his and his family’s bank accounts to the scammers through various transactions.
In September 2024, Maity approached the Valsad Cyber Crime Police to file a complaint regarding the deception he experienced. The police subsequently registered a case under several legal provisions concerning extortion, impersonation of public servants, forgery, and related offenses.
Inspector H G Rabari of the Valsad Cyber Crime unit led a thorough investigation employing both technical and human surveillance techniques. They discovered that the funds sent by Maity had been moved through multiple accounts in Surat.
On Thursday, law enforcement officials conducted searches in Katargam, Surat, resulting in the arrest of four suspects identified as Mukesh Anantbhai Polekar (22), Jay Jamanbhai Rank (21), Rohitkumar Niteshbhai Munjani (22), and Nirmal Nitinbhai Solanki (23), all of whom reside in Katargam.
Inspector Rabari noted that the arrested individuals were involved in withdrawing funds for a commission, which were then allegedly sent to Dubai through an associate named Sunny. Three additional suspects, identified as Ashish Patel, Sunny, and Harshil, remain at large. Police managed to freeze the last transaction of Rs 20.94 lakh with assistance from banking officials.
Rabari further explained that each of the arrested individuals received monthly payments ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 for allowing their bank accounts to be used in the fraudulent activities. The money received from Maity was funneled to Dubai via various accounts across Gujarat and other regions. Authorities are actively searching for Sunny, the primary suspect in this case, and are aware that the ATM cards and checkbooks linked to the arrested individuals’ accounts are currently with a contact in Dubai.
Efforts are ongoing to gather more information and apprehend the remaining suspects involved in this scheme.
Kamal Saiyed, a senior correspondent for The Indian Express, has been covering stories from Surat and surrounding areas since 2007. His expertise spans industrial and economic reporting, civic infrastructure, traffic issues, public safety, and political dynamics in South Gujarat and neighboring Union Territories.
