Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): In a major breakthrough, Ayodhya Nagar police on Tuesday arrested a member of a gang involved in selling bank account details of labourers to cyber fraudsters. The arrested accused used to lure labourers and slum dwellers to provide their identification documents for opening bank accounts on pretext of providing them loans.
The bank account details were sold to cyber criminals in return of cash by gang’s kingpin who is still at large. The bank account opened in the name of labourers were used by cyber conmen for committing cyber frauds and illegal exchange of foreign currency, police officials said.
According to Ayodhya Nagar Police Station TI Mahesh Lilhare, arrested gang member has been identified as 35-year-old Atif Khan of Lalitpur district. Atif was living in Kolar area of Bhopal for a year. On behest of gang’s kingpin Ajay Sharma, Atif used to contact slum dwellers, labourers and people engaged in doing odd jobs. Atif used to take their identification documents for opening their bank accounts on pretext of providing the loans on lower rate of interest.
Four passbooks and kits of a private bank branch at MP Nagar, two mobile phones, a SIM card on forged documents and a passport has been recovered from Atif, the TI added. Questioning from Atif revealed that gang’s kingpin Ajay Sharma and another member Pankaj Sen were natives of Jhansi district.
On instructions of the gang’s kingpin, Atif used to approach slum dwellers, labourers etc and fooled them to give their documents for opening bank accounts. The labourers were promised of bank loans and Rs 5,000 per month for using their bank accounts. The bank accounts were then sold to cyber conmen in return of Rs 10,000, police officials informed. Atif was regularly visiting places where labourers used to gather for work.
On Tuesday, Atif was luring labourers near Minal Residency area when he was nabbed by police team following a tip-off. Police officials said that efforts were underway to trace Ajay Sharma and Pankaj Sen who are on the run. Moreover, investigations are being carried out to know the exact number of bank accounts opened by accused and sold to cyber conmen, officials further added.
