In a significant development, the Delhi Police’s North-West district cyber unit has apprehended the suspected mastermind behind a sextortion operation in the Mewat region. The arrested individual, Abas Khan, aged 25 and hailing from Rajasthan’s Alwar district, was captured after an investigation into a cyber fraud case involving the extortion of Rs 2.52 lakh from a complainant in Delhi. The case stemmed from a complaint by a Shalimar Bagh resident who fell victim to a sextortion scam after receiving a friend request on Facebook, leading to threats and monetary demands following an obscene video call.
An e-FIR was lodged on January 12 under relevant legal provisions, prompting the formation of a specialized team to tackle the case. Through a meticulous examination of digital evidence such as WhatsApp data, Facebook profiles, IPDRs, CDRs, and financial transactions, the police uncovered a network of fake identities and traced the criminal activities to the Mewat region. Due to the area’s sensitivity and history of resistance, a well-coordinated raid was executed with local law enforcement, resulting in the arrest of the suspect and the seizure of an iPhone 14 Pro believed to have been used in the illicit activities.
During interrogation, Khan admitted to fabricating fake social media profiles with women’s images to lure men, engaging them in video calls with pre-recorded explicit content for subsequent blackmailing. The police highlighted Khan’s pivotal role in the sextortion scheme and are actively pursuing leads to apprehend other accomplices within the network. Authorities also raised concerns about the potential involvement of several young individuals from Khan’s village in similar cyber fraud operations, hinting at a broader criminal syndicate.
