In a surprising development in Jharkhand’s Giridih district, cyber criminals were discovered running an elaborate fraud network deep within forest areas to avoid detection by the police. Acting on a tip-off, the Giridih cyber police dismantled a makeshift ‘control room’ concealed in the Charanbari and Kothahariya forests under the jurisdiction of the Bengabad police station and apprehended six individuals involved in extensive cyber fraud. The operation was conducted under the supervision of Giridih SP, Dr. Bimal Kumar.
The arrested individuals, namely Mahendra Kumar Mandal, Krishna Kumar Mandal, Ishwar Mandal, Pankaj Kumar Mandal, Ranjit Kumar Mandal, and Aditya Kumar Mandal, were identified by the police. It was disclosed that the gang utilized sophisticated methods to target individuals nationwide. The modus operandi involved sending fake APK file links to unsuspecting victims via mobile phones, granting the fraudsters remote access to the victims’ devices upon opening the links. Subsequently, they swiftly siphoned money from bank accounts using the compromised phones.
During the raid, law enforcement seized 11 mobile phones, 13 SIM cards, and five motorcycles from the location. The motorcycles were allegedly employed for commuting to the forest hideouts and transporting equipment essential for cyber fraud activities. Dr. Bimal Kumar, the SP, mentioned that several gang members had prior records of cybercrime convictions in Delhi and various police stations in Giridih district. Upon release from prison, they regrouped and relocated their operations to forest areas to evade surveillance and evade capture.
Authorities have initiated a thorough probe into the gang’s financial transactions, bank accounts, and potential connections with broader cybercrime networks operating in different states.
