logo
Fake Parivahan app: Kochi cyber police arrest two from Varanasi

Fake Parivahan app: Kochi cyber police arrest two from Varanasi

The Hindu5 days ago
The cyber wing of the Kochi City police arrested two persons who were allegedly involved in cheating people through a fake Parivahan application.
The accused, Uttar Pradesh natives Atul Kumar Singh, 32, and Manish Yadav, 24, reportedly sent fake files via WhatsApp and managed to make people believe that it was for enabling paying of fines for traffic-rule violations. The accused were arrested by the cyber police in an operation conducted at Varanasi after a Kochi resident submitted a complaint stating that he was duped of ₹85,000 through a fake Parivahan link.
On inspection of their phones, the police recovered information on over 2,700 vehicles from Kerala, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Delhi Police busts Rs 100-crore drug syndicate, Cameroonian kingpin arrested
Delhi Police busts Rs 100-crore drug syndicate, Cameroonian kingpin arrested

India Today

time36 minutes ago

  • India Today

Delhi Police busts Rs 100-crore drug syndicate, Cameroonian kingpin arrested

A major international drug syndicate operating out of Delhi has been busted by the Delhi Police Crime Branch, which has arrested five foreign nationals allegedly linked to the network. The accused are citizens of Nigeria, Cameroon, and Cote d'Ivoire, and were apprehended from various locations in the national police seized 2.7 kg of cocaine, 1 kg of MDMA, 1 kg of cannabis, Rs 2.07 lakh in cash, a Honda City car, and forged Aadhaar cards during the operation. The total value of drugs seized so far is estimated to be over Rs 100 syndicate came under the police radar on June 13, when a suspicious parcel was intercepted at a courier office in Moti Nagar, Delhi. A search of the parcel revealed MDMA concealed in a woman's shoes and a suit. Investigations into the parcel led the police to uncover a high-tech drug distribution network with international links. The syndicate was allegedly operated by Callistus, also known as Kalis, based in Nigeria. From there, he coordinated operations across India, Australia, Japan, and Malaysia. In India, the delivery system reportedly mimicked food delivery apps, with orders, location sharing via WhatsApp, and cash collection all managed network operated at three levels: Level A handled stock and data management, led by two individuals named Godwin and Ibe. Level B managed cocaine processing, overseen by a person identified as Philipp. Level C handled ground-level deliveries, carried out by Koulaie and Kelechi. Orders and payments were managed via WhatsApp and hawala syndicate's leader is reported to have used women as couriers to smuggle drugs both within the country and internationally, allegedly to maximise profits and avoid group's earnings from the drug trade were routed to Nigeria through hawala channels. In India, payments were handed over to hawala agents, while in Nigeria, relatives of syndicate members received the equivalent amount in local currency. The syndicate reportedly charged a 5% commission on each five accused arrested in connection with the case are Kameni Philipp from Cameroon, who allegedly managed the Indian network; Colley Philipp from Cote d'Ivoire, identified as a specialist in party drug deliveries; Godwin John, a Nigerian national linked to MDMA supply; Victor, who arrived in India on a medical visa and later worked as a delivery agent; and Austin, who had reportedly been living illegally in India since to police, the syndicate's Delhi-based operations were part of a wider international network using digital tools for managing drug orders and payments. The case is under investigation.- EndsMust Watch

CBI busts cybercrime gang operating from Pune apartments; three arrested
CBI busts cybercrime gang operating from Pune apartments; three arrested

The Hindu

timean hour ago

  • The Hindu

CBI busts cybercrime gang operating from Pune apartments; three arrested

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested three members of a sophisticated cybercrime syndicate that allegedly defrauded foreign nationals, primarily U.S. citizens, minting around ₹3-4 crore through phishing calls and VoIP spoofing, officials said on Friday (July 25, 2025). In a sweeping crackdown which began on Thursday (July 24, 2025) and continued on Friday (July 25, 2025), the agency raided seven locations in Pune and Mumbai. Apart from digital devices, the sleuths also seized over 150 grams of suspected narcotics, they said. Incriminating digital evidence from 27 mobile phones and 17 laptops, as well as ₹1.60 lakh in unexplained cash, was also recovered during the bust, they said. The agency arrested Amit Dube, Tarun Shenai and Gonsalves Savio, who were presented before a special CBI court in Mumbai, which remanded them to the agency's custody till July 30 for further interrogation regarding their operations and co-accused. Also read: Maharashtra cracks the whip on rising cyber crime Scrutiny of the mobile phone of the accused has revealed that he has cryptocurrency worth ₹6.94 lakh in his wallet. During the search at the residence of another accused, unexplained cash of ₹9.60 lakh was recovered, the agency said in a statement. The syndicate had been operating a legal call centre out of various apartments in Pune since January 2025, targeting victims abroad through phishing calls and VoIP spoofing. The call centre workers are paid in cash routed via hawala channels from both the U.S. and domestic locations, including Maharashtra and Gujarat. These workers were housed in multiple residential flats across Pune, the spokesperson said. These accused persons were using caller services found on social media platforms like Signal and WhatsApp in their operations, it said. The operators were using vendors on WhatsApp and Signal to acquire contact leads illegally and contacted victims through toll-free numbers generated and disseminated by these vendors, eventually connecting them to the fraudulent call centre. Masquerading as officials from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and even the Indian diplomatic missions, the scamsters coerced victims into transferring funds ranging from $500 to $3,000 through gift cards and cryptocurrency, using the threat of legal consequences. It was also revealed that these operations are supported by certain unknown public and private sector bank officials, who facilitate the opening and operation of fake accounts using forged KYC documents, violating established RBI and institutional guidelines, the statement said. Preliminary findings suggest that the scam was abetted by unidentified officials of the public and private sector banks who facilitated the opening of fake accounts using forged Know Your Customer (KYC) documents, in blatant violation of RBI regulations. It has been revealed that the illegally earned proceeds, estimated to be ₹3-4 crores monthly, are being laundered via mule accounts, cryptocurrency, and hawala routes, the statement said.

'Food app-style delivery of drugs': How a Nigerian kingpin ran home delivery cartel across Delhi using women as agents
'Food app-style delivery of drugs': How a Nigerian kingpin ran home delivery cartel across Delhi using women as agents

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

'Food app-style delivery of drugs': How a Nigerian kingpin ran home delivery cartel across Delhi using women as agents

In a major crackdown, Delhi Police 's crime branch has busted an international drug cartel operating in the capital's party circuits and seized narcotics worth over Rs 100 crore. As reported by TOI, five foreign nationals have been arrested, including the India operations head and three Nigerians. The gang, led by a notorious Nigerian kingpin named Callistus, was running a well-organised network that operated across Delhi-NCR and had links to Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the UK. The cartel was using encrypted WhatsApp chats, forged documents and a call centre-style drug delivery system to operate under the radar. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Data Science Public Policy Management Others Design Thinking Data Science MCA Digital Marketing PGDM MBA CXO Leadership Technology others Artificial Intelligence Product Management Operations Management Finance Healthcare Cybersecurity healthcare Project Management Degree Data Analytics Skills you'll gain: Data Analysis & Interpretation Programming Proficiency Problem-Solving Skills Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT MSc in Data Science Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Strategic Data-Analysis, including Data Mining & Preparation Predictive Modeling & Advanced Clustering Techniques Machine Learning Concepts & Regression Analysis Cutting-edge applications of AI, like NLP & Generative AI Duration: 8 Months IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Drugs, Cash and a Car Seized During the operation, police seized: by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Learn More - How Watching Videos Can Boost Your Income TheDaddest Undo 2,700 grams of high-purity Colombian cocaine 1,000 grams of MDMA Over 1 kg of OG ganja A sedan car Rs 2 lakh in cash Mobile phones and passports The investigation began after a suspicious courier parcel was intercepted at a Moti Nagar facility. According to police, the parcel contained 895 grams of MDMA hidden in packages of Indian suits and ladies' shoes. Following the trail of fake addresses and IDs, police reached Kameni Philipp, a Cameroonian national who headed the syndicate's India operations. How the Drug Network Worked Speaking to TOI, Special Commissioner (Crime) Devesh Shrivastava said, 'The cartel used a call centre model through WhatsApp and delivered drugs like food delivery apps using live locations and foot soldiers.' Live Events Interrogation of Kameni Philipp led to the unravelling of the entire cartel's chain. Police then arrested three Nigerian nationals, Godwin John, Kelechi Chikwe and Ibe Chinedu Austin, along with Koulaie Philippe, alias Tall Guy, from Côte d'Ivoire. Women Used as Drug Mules, WhatsApp for Deliveries Additional Commissioner Mangesh Kashyap told TOI that the syndicate used Indian women to smuggle pure cocaine from abroad, banking on their lower risk profile at international airports. Once in India, the drugs were received by Philipp, who passed them to level-A distributors like Godwin John. He adulterated pure cocaine using neutral cutting agents in a 1:4 ratio, turning 1 kg of cocaine into 5 kg of street-level drug. Level-B operatives like Ibe alias Victor would then supply it weekly to level-C peddlers for final delivery to users in Delhi-NCR. Weekly collections were funnelled back up the ladder. What made the cartel more dangerous was its resilience. Police said even if a foot soldier was arrested, handlers in Nigeria maintained centralised customer records, ensuring operations were not affected. Money Laundering Network Also Exposed During the investigation, Delhi Police also unearthed a major money laundering racket. According to DCP Harsh Indora, Indians based in Nigeria who wanted to send money home would pay the drug cartel in Naira, and their families in India would receive the equivalent in rupees, completely bypassing official banking systems. This informal currency exchange network allowed the syndicate to clean its drug money while fulfilling money transfer needs. Police say investigations are still underway, and more arrests could follow. Inputs from TOI

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store