71-year-old woman duped of Rs 49 lakh in ‘digital arrest’, Delhi Police nab three
New Delhi: Authorities said on Thursday that the Delhi Police Crime Branch’s Cyber Cell has arrested three key members of a cyber fraud syndicate involved in “digital arrest” and investment scams, including one that defrauded a 71-year-old woman of ₹49 lakh.
The breakthrough came after coordinated raids conducted by the Crime Branch at multiple locations in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, as part of a crackdown on organized cyber-based financial crimes.
According to officials, the arrested individuals have been identified as Arjun Saini (20), Vimlesh (19), and Mohammad Abid alias Mubashir (20). They played a crucial role in the transfer of illicit funds and money laundering through mule bank accounts. All three are residents of Lucknow and were allegedly operating under the direction of a larger cybercrime network.
Investigators revealed that the victim was targeted using classic digital arrest tactics, where fraudsters impersonate police officers or government agencies to threaten people into transferring money.
The syndicate allegedly coerced the elderly woman into sending ₹49 lakh by falsely accusing her of involvement in illegal activities and threatening her with legal action.
“The accused were absconding and frequently changing their locations to evade arrest. They were tracked down and apprehended through intensive technical surveillance and local intelligence,” the Delhi Police said in a press note.
With these arrests, the total number of accused arrested in this case has reached six, with two others having been apprehended earlier during the investigation.
The syndicate allegedly relied on young, unemployed individuals to open multiple bank accounts to launder the stolen money.
According to reports, Arjun Saini opened a mule account for financial gain and handed it over to a co-accused. Vimlesh, a B.Sc. student, is accused of procuring mule accounts for the fraud network, while Mubashir supplied account kits linked to previously arrested suspects. Police said these arrests are a significant step towards dismantling a large digital fraud ecosystem that relies heavily on identity theft, psychological manipulation, and decentralized money laundering networks.
The operation was led by Inspector Subhash Chandra, along with a team comprising Sub-Inspector Jagsir Singh, ASI Sanjay, Head Constable Mohit Malik, and HC Gaurav, under the supervision of ACP Anil Sharma.
Further investigation is underway.
