- Luxury Cars and High-Tech Gadgets Among Stolen Items
Chronicle Reporter, Bhopal
In a major breakthrough, the Awadhpuri police in Bhopal have arrested a five-member cyber crime syndicate and seized goods worth nearly Rs 4 crore. The haul includes BMW SUVs, luxury cars, mobile phones, SIM cards, ATM cards, checkbooks, passbooks, and a currency counting machine. The gang had been operating online fraud schemes through the ZoomCar app, targeting victims across Delhi, Mumbai, and other states from their base in Bhopal.
How the Scam Worked
The cyber criminals lured victims using fake accounts on ZoomCar, uploading images of high-end cars and offering them for rent without drivers. After booking the vehicles online and receiving advance payments, the fraudsters would disappear, providing excuses for non-delivery and eventually blocking communication with the victims. The gang was also quick to change their details, using new names, phone numbers, and bank accounts for each new scam.
The scale of the operation was immense, as the fraudsters had even purchased a currency counting machine to manage their illicit gains. Police have also recovered 92 SIM cards, 48 mobile devices, and multiple ATM cards, indicating the syndicate’s sophisticated network.
The Masterminds Behind the Crime
The mastermind, Yash Saluja, was previously involved in a similar case in 2018 when he had fraudulently seized a car booked through ZoomCar. The other members of the gang include Anshul Priyansh Singh, Mayank Thakur, Avinash Pandey, and Sahajpreet Singh. Investigations are ongoing to trace the rightful owners of the seized cars.
Ongoing Investigations
The police are working to identify the car owners and are questioning vendors involved in supplying the stolen SIM cards. It’s suspected that the gang had been operating in Bhopal since July 2024, and police have now turned their attention to the landlords who rented out the property to these criminals without proper verification.
This bust represents a significant step forward in the fight against cyber fraud in the city, with the police promising to continue their crackdown on such criminal networks.