Cyber racket busted, 3 held, one at large

Mahabubnagar: In a major breakthrough, the Jadcherla police arrested three individuals in connection with a large-scale cyber fraud case, with one key suspect still at large. The case, registered under Crime No. 249/2024, involved the loss of ₹36,20,180 from a complainant who fell victim to fraudulent online schemes.

While addressing the media on Sunday in Jadcherla, the police paraded the accused in front of the media, where Mahabubangar district SP D Janaki praised the teamwork and swift action of the police team in solving the case. The investigation, which uncovered a well-organized cybercrime operation, was led by a team of officers from the Jadcherla PS, with support from the Cyber Security Bureau.

According to the police, the fraudsters operate the cyber scam through fraudulent links sent via popular social media platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Telegram. Victims were deceived into completing tasks through these links, leading to significant financial losses. One such victim, Jhawar Sunil, lost `36,20,180 after clicking on a link from the Grovention Media Fx972 app.

The main accused, Mohammad Samiyoddin, a 40-year-old hotel businessman from Siddipet, is currently on the run. Police revealed that Samiyoddin provided bank accounts to cybercriminals to launder the stolen money, which was later converted into cryptocurrency.

The other arrested suspects include Mohammad Abdul Fahad, a 30-year-old accountant, Vallozu Shirish Kumar, a 36-year-old bank operations manager, and Syed Mustafa Raja Khadri, a 29-year-old private employee. The investigation has shown that the four worked together to withdraw money from victims’ accounts and distribute the proceeds.

Following credible information, police arrested the three suspects in Siddipet on December 7, 2024, and froze the bank accounts linked to the fraud. During the investigation, it was revealed that `9,02,000 was withdrawn on March 30, 2024, and shared among the suspects. SP Janaki urged citizens to be cautious when interacting with unknown online links and to report suspicious activities. The arrested suspects were remanded in judicial custody on December 8, 2024, while efforts continue to apprehend the absconding

Mohammad Samiyoddin.