Rescued from Myanmar scam den, trio return to India to launch cyber fraud ring
Three men rescued from cyber scam operations in Myanmar have been arrested in Maharashtra. Police said they were setting up a fresh call centre fraud network in Navi Mumbai after returning to India.
They were rescued from Myanmar’s infamous cyber scam compounds in an international operation involving the American Army and Myanmar police. Flown back to India after being trapped inside one of Asia’s biggest online fraud networks, they were expected to get a second chance.
Instead, police say, three of them quietly returned to the same world of cybercrime.
In a dramatic crackdown, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Cyber Police arrested three men accused of rebuilding a cyber fraud racket in Maharashtra after returning from Myanmar, where they had earlier worked inside scam call centres linked to transnational online fraud operations.
The accused have been identified as Sushil Bhagwan Juvatkar from Nerul West in Navi Mumbai, Pankaj Kapoor, originally from Punjab’s Jalandhar and currently based in Navi Mumbai, and Nischal Bareli, a native of Darjeeling in West Bengal who was living in Nerul, Navi Mumbai.
Police said the trio were preparing to launch a fresh cyber scam network from Navi Mumbai when investigators tracked them down during a probe into a Rs 2 crore online fraud case.
CYBER TRAIL EXPOSED NEW RACKET
The investigation began after police traced suspicious transactions linked to a cyber fraud amounting to nearly Rs 2 crore.
During scrutiny of bank records, investigators found that Rs 1.25 lakh had been transferred into a Central Bank of India account opened in the name of “Arshil Industries Private Limited” in Navi Mumbai.
Technical surveillance and financial tracking led the cyber police team to Sushil Juvatkar, who was detained from Navi Mumbai.
During interrogation, police say Sushil admitted that the bank accounts opened by him were being used by his associates, including Pankaj Raj Kapoor and Nischal Bareli.
FROM MYANMAR SCAM HUBS TO NAVI MUMBAI
Investigators found that the accused had previously travelled to Bangkok and Myanmar, where they allegedly worked in cyber fraud operations functioning through organised call centres.
Police said the trio were among nearly 5,000 Indians rescued during a joint operation carried out by the American Army and Myanmar police against cybercrime syndicates operating in Myanmar.
After the rescue mission, they were handed over to the Indian Embassy and eventually brought back to India.
But instead of walking away from the scam world, investigators believe the accused attempted to recreate the same network on Indian soil.
CALL CENTRE READY, POLICE MOVE IN
According to police, the accused had already begun preparations to set up a new call centre in Navi Mumbai for cyber fraud operations.
Before the alleged racket could become fully functional, Pimpri-Chinchwad Cyber Police moved in and dismantled the network.
During the raids, police seized six mobile phones, three passports, two laptops, two hard disks, QR codes, 24 bank account opening kits and five debit cards.
Assistant Police Inspector Praveen Swami from the cyber unit said the probe is continuing and investigators are now trying to uncover the larger network linked to the accused.