Mumbai: In a significant cybercrime crackdown, Dongri Police have arrested 11 individuals involved in a large-scale online fraud scheme. The accused used fake trading apps to lure victims into investing in IPOs and the stock market, ultimately scamming them out of large sums of money.
In a cybercrime case registered at Dongri Police Station on August 6, 2024, a pensioner was duped of approximately ₹8.60 lakh under the pretext of investment. Investigating Officer PSI Gobind Phad and his team have arrested a total of 11 accused so far. On January 31, the team arrested six suspects from Goa after interrogation and seized several items, including five laptops, 17 mobile phones, and two cars (a Tata Jaguar and a Mahindra Mazarro).
The seized items |
During the investigation, it was revealed that accused individuals Dinesh Tayde, Patel, and Akash Dusane had traveled to Nepal and Cambodia in connection with the cyber fraud. Tayde and Dusane are the sons of two retired police officers. The accused provided over 150 bank accounts and multiple SIM cards with international calling and SMS facilities to facilitate fraudulent transactions.
They earned commissions on transactions conducted through these accounts. The two main arrested accused allegedly made commissions ranging from ₹1.5 crore to ₹2 crore each, which they used to purchase cars and properties. The investigation is ongoing to track more individuals involved and recover the fraudulently obtained money.
A case has been registered at Dongri Police Station under IPC Sections 319(2), 318(4), 336(2), 336(3), 340(2), and 3(5), along with relevant sections of the IT Act (66C and 66D).
The complaint was filed by Raviraj Sadanand Kamble (60), a retired professional from Mumbai. He was tricked between July 15 and July 25, 2024, into downloading a fraudulent stock trading app resembling SMC, a reputed brokerage firm. The fraudsters convinced him that the app was genuine and coerced him into transferring ₹8.56 lakh from his bank account under the pretext of stock market and IPO investments.
Dongri Police’s Cyber Unit analyzed the fraudulent transactions and traced the bank accounts used. This led to the arrest of the first two accused, Gautam Gopal Das (48) and Srinivas Raju Rao (36). Further investigation revealed another suspect who had provided a Bank of Maharashtra account for the scam. As a result, the police arrested Omkar Yuvraj Thorat (27) from Karad, Satara, and Shrikant Balasaheb Salunkhe (22) from Pune. Salunkhe admitted to selling bank accounts to his associate, leading to the arrest of Ojas Chaudhary (30) from Bhusawal, Jalgaon.
Technical analysis revealed that other wanted accused were hiding in Goa. A police team, with assistance from Old Goa Police Station, arrested six more accused on January 31, 2025. The arrested individuals are identified as: Akash Atmaram Dusane alias Akash Sonar (29) – Nashik, Dinesh Hiraman Tayade (30) – Nashik, Mohammed Rajik Sadiq Patel (26) – Bhusawal, Sagar Chiranjeev Kolhe (28) – Pune, Harshal Prakash More (30) – Nashik, Amit Uttam Mitkar (28) – Nashik
All 11 accused have been remanded to police custody until February 6 for further investigation.
The investigation revealed that Dusane, Tayade, and Patel had traveled to Cambodia and Nepal, where they collaborated with international cybercriminals. They purchased Indian bank accounts from multiple individuals, paying a fixed amount for each account, and used them to receive funds from their scams. The money was then laundered through Telegram and other online platforms.
Authorities are now tracking additional suspects and investigating potential links to international fraud syndicates. The case highlights the growing threat of cyber fraud and the sophisticated methods employed by criminals to dupe victims. Dongri Police urge citizens to verify investment platforms before transferring funds and to report suspicious activities to the Cyber Crime Helpline.
