SURAT — In an operation that underscores the ongoing battle against cybercrime, the Surat Cyber Crime Police have apprehended five members of the notorious Jamtara gang in Rohtas, Bihar. The gang is reputed for their illicit activities involving hacking mobile phones and exploiting net banking credentials to drain bank accounts.
Navaratandas Sitaram Swamy, a 41-year-old textile businessman from Godadara Salasar Residency, Surat, fell victim to the gang's scheme. Operating under the business name Monica Silk Mills at Ring Road Millennium Market-2, Swamy lost ₹10 lakh ($13,370) from his bank account following a mobile phone breach. The incident unfolded when a family member unsuspectingly shared a link to the PM Vikas Yojana on a local WhatsApp group.
Shortly after Swamy clicked the link, his mobile phone was compromised. On June 11, he received an unexpected One-Time Password (OTP) for a withdrawal of ₹10 lakh, divided into two transactions of ₹5 lakh each, from his Axis Bank account, which was subsequently transferred to an HDFC Bank account.
Upon discovery of the fraudulent transaction, a complaint was registered with the Surat Cyber Crime Police Station. Their subsequent investigation led to the arrest of the five suspects, all linked to the notorious Jamtara gang of Jharkhand, notorious for similar fraudulent activities. In this instance, the gang was found to have siphoned off ₹1.80 lakh from Rohtas to their own bank accounts.
The arrested individuals include Sahaj alias Ankur Rakeshkumar Rathod, a 24-year-old MBA student; 20-year-old data science student Shubhamkumar Sunilkumar Gupta; Roshankumar Sunil Chowdhary, an 18-year-old unemployed youth; Askaf Abdul Rehman Ansari, a 19-year-old wage worker; and Ashraf Ali Farooq Ansari, a 22-year-old farm laborer.
The accused are currently in remand for further investigation, with the cybercrime unit endeavoring to expose any further connections or unsolved crimes tied to the Jamtara gang.
