Tirupati Police Bust Inter-State Digital Arrest Racket
Koti Babu had earlier worked with cybercriminals in Cambodia in January 2024. He returned to India and started opening mule accounts for commission: Reports
TIRUPATI: Tirupati district police have busted an inter-state cybercrime racket involving fraudsters posing as CBI officials on WhatsApp video calls, mainly to senior citizens, and putting them under digital arrest. Eight members of the gang have been arrested, while mobile phones have been seized and bank accounts used for the fraud frozen.
Disclosing case details to media here on Wednesday, SP L. Subba Rayudu identified the accused as Dande Kranthi Kumar and Nimmala Pawan Kumar from Anantapur, Mane Koti Babu and Gundaveni Gautham from Hyderabad, Parapala Srinivas from Rajahmundry, and Marakattu Chandrasekhar Reddy, Kodela Shiva Shankar and Nagaridhan Prashanth Reddy from Bellary. Eight mobile phones have been seized and ₹2.5 lakh found in a joint bank account frozen, the SP disclosed.
In the instant case, these gang members called a 65-year-old Tirupati resident posing as CBI officials from Mumbai. They accused him of being linked to a ₹583 crore money laundering case. Intimidating him with questions, they told the Tirupati resident that he is being put under digital arrest. The fraudsters then forced him to transfer ₹80 lakh to various accounts across several states.
When the Tirupati resident tried to call them later, they did not respond. The victim then approached Tirupati East police station and lodged a complaint.
Investigation by a special team revealed that the money first went into mule accounts and later reached accounts spread across 14 states, eventually landing on gaming platforms. Key accused Koti Babu has links with foreign networks, including a Chinese national named Teon.
Koti Babu had earlier worked with cybercriminals in Cambodia in January 2024. He returned to India and started opening mule accounts for commission.
The SP said accused Kranthi Kumar and Pawan Kumar opened a joint account under the title of DKK Film Distributors through which ₹30 lakh linked to the case moved abroad. The role of bank staff is under investigation.
A key suspect Mohammed of Yusufguda in Hyderabad is absconding.
SP Rayudu has advised citizens not to respond to unknown video calls as no government agency arrests anyone online. The SP asked people to report suspicious numbers to 1930, 112 or WhatsApp Tirupati police at 80999 99977.