Face2News/Chandigarh.

In a major breakthrough, the Cyber Crime Police Station of UT Chandigarh has successfully exposed and dismantled a transnational cybercrime syndicate. After taking charge, the W/ DG Pof Chandigarh police had emphasized that cyber crime would be one of his top priorities. In line with that vision, this operation was executed meticulously to dismantle the criminal gangs involved.

Authorities have traced the organized syndicated to a sophisticated and fast-growing international network operating from Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Hong Kong, Laos, and Myanmar. This network has now spread across India and poses a serious threat to the country’s digital security.

Indian Youths are targeted by Foreign Nationals through Facebook and Telegram asking them to operate sim box in return of salary. For this, they are asked to arrange the internet connection, SIM Cards and un-interrupted electric supply. A telegram group is created to continuously monitor the setup.Automation to achievescale - Each mule SIM card plugged in SIM Box can make 1,500+ IVR Calls a day.This results in lakhs of fake automated calls across India every day.This South East Asia based organized crimeis estimated to be causing a loss of ₹1,000 crore loss to the Indian economy each month.

How Digital Arrest is executed from Overseas? (Modus Operandi)

• IVR Calls as initiated from overseas, impersonating TRAI, CBI, FedEx etc. These Automated voice systems (IVRs) are internet calls, which are converted into local calls using a telecom device / setup known as “SIM BOX”. 

• Dinstar company sim box / chips are used for calling Indian victims.

• Each device called SIM Boxes can make over 200,000 IVR Calls a day, thereby improving their reach using technology.

• Victims are then asked to connect Video Call, where fake police station setup is shown and money is extorted in the name of fake case.

Using Indian Youths to operate SIM Boxes:

It has been learnt that Indian Youths are targeted by Foreign Nationals through Facebook and Telegram asking them to operate sim box in return of salary. For this, they are asked to arrange the internet connection, SIM Cards and un-interrupted electric supply. A telegram group is created to continuously monitor the setup.

Automation to achievescale - Each mule SIM card plugged in SIM Box can make 1,500+ IVR Calls a day.This results in lakhs of fake automated calls across India every day.This South East Asia based organized crimeis estimated to be causing a loss of ₹1,000 crore loss to the Indian economy each month.

Owing to seriousness of this cybercrime, the Prime Minister of India addressed the nation during his “Mann Ki Baat” program, emphasizing awareness and gave the mantra “Ruko, Socho aur Action Lo”

Human Trafficking & Cyber Slavery Between 2022 and 2025, approx. 3000 Indian citizens were rescued from countries like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. They had been lured with fake job offers and are made to do scams targeting Indian Nations. One of these scam include Digital Arrest / Fake Policy authority Scam.

The investigation began after a complaint about a digital arrest that led to a loss of ₹1.01 crore. Ten people have been arrested so far. The scam involved digital impersonation and digital arrest, operating unregistered SIM box for carrying out calls and cross-border online money transfers

The case was cracked under the leadership of Ms. Geetanjali Khandelwal, IPS (SP-Cyber, UT Chandigarh), with the guidance of Sh. A. Venkatesh, DSP Cyber Crime, and supervision by Inspector Ms. Eram Rizvi, SHO, PS-Cyber Crime, Sector 17, Chandigarh.

KNOWTHE ACCUSED:  

Parvez Chauhan S/o Shabir Chauhan, Age 33 Years,  Shubham Mehra @ Sunny S/o Shri Balwinder Singh Age 25 Years,  Suhail Akhtar S/o Naim Akhtar Age 35 Years,  Krishana Shah S/o Jatinder Singh Age 21 yrs,  Vijay Kumar Shah S/o Dasrath Shah Age 22 yrs., Aakash S/o Manoj Kumar Age 26 years, Ajit Kumar S/o Laxman Rai Age-22 years, Vipin Kumar S/o Sham Lal Age 25 years, Saroj Kumar S/o Auadh Sahni Age-19 years,  Abhishek Kumar S/o Ramesh Mali Age-19 years

CASE SUMMORY: The case was registered based on the statement of Ms. Manjeet, wife of Late Brig. Amarjit Singh Behl, residing at House No. 1519, Sector 33-D, Chandigarh. On 11th July 2025, she received a voice call from mobile number 7626808695, followed by a WhatsApp video call from 8414020165.

The caller, posing as a CBI officer named “Sunil,” falsely informed her that a mobile number and an ICICI Bank account, allegedly opened using her Aadhaar details, were involved in a money laundering investigation. To gain her trust, the caller shared forged documents bearing Government of India stamps and a fake bank passbook via WhatsApp.

Fearing legal consequences, Ms. Manjeet was coerced into transferring her entire life savings amounting to Rs. 1,01,65,094/- into multiple accounts claimed to be for “safe custody.” This constitutes a classic case of a digital arrest scam.

INVESTIGATION: Records were requisitioned from telecom operators, WhatsApp, and banks. Analysis of Call Detail Records (CDRs) and Customer Acquisition Forms (CAFs) revealed that mobile number 7626808695 was activated in Ludhiana, Punjab. Its associated IMEI number was linked to approximately 180 SIM activations, indicating systematic misuse of telecom infrastructure. Many of these SIMs were found to be operational in Meerut and Hapur, Uttar Pradesh. The WhatsApp number 8414020165 was activated in Mizoram.

Following approvals and tower location analysis, a raid was conducted in Meerut on 24th July 2025, resulting in the arrest of Parvez Chauhan (33 years).

During interrogation, Parvez admitted he operated a SIM box and earned 50 USDT per day from various vendors by providing international call routing services. His phone contained chats with foreign contacts discussing crypto payments and call routes.

On 27th July 2025, a raid was conducted in Ludhiana, Punjab, leading to the arrest of Vijay Kumar Shah (22 years). One mobile phone was recovered from him. Vijay revealed that his Point of Sale (POS) ID had been given to Krishna Sah, both are local resident of Nepalese origin with an Indian Aadhaar card. Krishna used Vijay’s POS ID to activate SIM cards under the pretense of being a telecom agent. Their method involved activating two SIM cards using a single customer’s KYC—one from Airtel and another from a different telecom provider—without the customer’s knowledge. The customer would receive only one SIM, while the second was sold to Akash Kumar. A notice under Section 35(3) BNSS-2023 was issued to Akash Kumar for joining the investigation.

Based on Vijay’s and Krishna’s disclosures, Krishna Shah (21 years), also residing in Ludhiana, was arrested. The investigation confirmed that mobile number 7626808695, used in the scam against Ms. Manjeet, was activated using Vijay’s POS ID, with Krishna listed as the agent. Krishna admitted that he and Vijay knowingly sold activated SIM cards to Akash Kumar, who further distributed them for use in cyber frauds, including SIM box operations. This established a direct link between fraudulent SIM activations in Ludhiana and a broader interstate scam network.

On 28th July 2025, Suhail Akhtar from Meerut was arrested. He disclosed that he had purchased SIM cards in bulk from Akash Kumar for ₹800–900 per SIM and sold them to one Shubham Mehra alias Sunny. Acting on this information, a raid was conducted in Amritsar on 29th July, during which Shubham Mehra was arrested. At the time, Dinstar-brand SIM boxes were found operational and actively being used in cyber fraud.

A SIM box is a device capable of holding and operating dozens or even hundreds of SIM cards simultaneously. It connects VoIP (Voice over IP) calls to local mobile networks, allowing international calls to appear as domestic ones—thus bypassing standard telecom routing and detection mechanisms.

Shubham Mehra confessed that he had responded to a Facebook ad offering work-from-home jobs and was later recruited via Telegram by foreign nationals. He was provided with equipment and instructions, and paid ₹25,000 per month in cash. The SIM box operations were remotely managed by handlers believed to be based in Taiwan, China, Malaysia, and Cambodia.

Further investigation led Akash Kumar to disclose that he had acquired around 180 activated SIM cards from Ajit Kumar at ₹450 per SIM. Ajit had sourced these from Saroj Kumar and Abhishek Kumar, both registered POS operators in Ludhiana, who were selling them at ₹250 per SIM. Vipin Kumar provided the financial backing for these illegal operations. Based on consolidated information gathered during interrogations, Akash Kumar, Ajit Kumar, Saroj Kumar, Abhishek Kumar, and Vipin Kumar were arrested on 31st July 2025. Their combined roles in sourcing, financing, and distributing illicit SIM cards were instrumental in enabling the larger scam network.

Further investigation into the case is currently underway. The details of all the accused individuals, along with the recovered items, have been shared with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). This is to determine whether the accused are linked to other cyber fraud cases across India. The report from I4C is still awaited.

Efforts are also being made to coordinate with both national and international law enforcement agencies to facilitate a deeper probe and ensure appropriate action is taken against all those involved. the prompt and coordinated response of the Police Station Cyber Crime team and Bank staffs that leads to a total lien amount of ₹36,98,056.18 has been secured in the accused bank accounts. The investigation is ongoing to trace the complete financial trail and uncover the full extent of the criminal nexus.

RECOVERY: 

• Parvez Chauhan: During interrogation, One (01) SIM box, Wi-Fi broadband router, and more SIM cards were recovered from Meerut and Approx. 70–80 SIM cards, 03 mobile phones.

• Shubham Mehra alias SunnySix (06) SIM boxesDinstar company, around 400 SIM cards, and 11 mobile phones,01 laptop, 02 Modem and 01 Router were recovered from a rented premises
• Personal mobile phone of all the other accused.