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Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Foreign puff busted: Delhi Police nabs 5 with 2.4 lakh cigarette sticks at IGIA
New Delhi: Delhi Police 's Crime Branch has busted an international cigarette smuggling racket and seized over 2.42 lakh sticks of foreign-made cigarettes from five men intercepted outside the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA). The accused, who arrived separately from Dubai and Bangkok, were each found carrying oversized luggage filled with foreign cigarette brands such as ESSE Change KT&G, ESSE Special Gold, and Mond Variance Blueberry Menthol. None of the cigarette packs bore the mandatory Indian health warnings, making them illegal for sale in the country. According to police, the operation was carried out on the intervening night of June 2 and 3, following a tip-off about a suspected consignment of foreign cigarettes being smuggled in via international flights. "A team was deployed outside Terminal 3 to monitor incoming passengers. All five suspects were apprehended with two large bags each, raising suspicions due to their coordinated arrival times and similar travel patterns," said DCP (crime) Aditya Gautam. Although the suspects claimed not to know one another, police said their identical modus operandi pointed to an organised smuggling network. Some of the accused attempted to flee but were quickly apprehended by the police team. The arrested men have been identified as Vivek Kumar Kanojia, Zakir Alam, Mohammad Shoaib, Gulsanawar, and Nazish—residents of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. A total of 2.42 lakh cigarette sticks were recovered, all in violation of Indian packaging and health warning norms. The seized products were allegedly meant for illegal sale in grey markets across the city. "During interrogation, the suspects revealed they were each promised between Rs 70,000 and Rs 80,000 per trip. Their flight tickets and accommodation were arranged by handlers based in Dubai and Bangkok. They were instructed to travel with luggage stuffed with cigarettes, which was to be handed over to local contacts in Delhi. Most of the accused were either unemployed or engaged in low-income jobs and were lured into the operation with promises of easy money," DCP Gautam said. A case has been registered under Sections 7 and 20 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003. Further investigation is underway to identify the overseas handlers and trace the broader smuggling network. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Delhi police bust sextortion, cyber fraud rackets
NEW DELHI: The Delhi police have busted sextortion and cyber fraud rackets spanning across multiple states and arrested six people in the case. A money trail of over Rs 5 crore has been identified by different teams of Crime Branch. DCP (Crime) Aditya Gautam said, 'On May 24, a tip-off was received regarding the movement of a consignment suspected to contain synthetic bank account kits in the New Ashok Nagar area being used in various high-tech crimes.' An operation was carried out in which three people in possession of the consignment were arrested. Later, a raid was conducted at an illegal call centre in Mundka involved in fraudulent bank loan schemes, and seven people were apprehended. The modus operandi of the call centre was to defraud people by offering fake bank loans. During the probe, another raid was conducted in New Ashok Nagar, where four other suspects were apprehended and an organised sextortion racket was busted. Further investigation into the matter is on.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Delhi Police bust pan-India cybercrime syndicate
The Delhi Police Crime Branch has dismantled a sprawling, pan-India cybercrime syndicate allegedly involved in a range of illegal activities, including sextortion, banking fraud, and cyber scams, officials said on Tuesday. The criminal network operated across Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, according to the police. The operation resulted in the seizure of 28 mobile phones, 30 SIM cards, two laptops, eight cheque books, 15 debit cards, and several bank account credentials used for illegal financial transactions, the police stated. Videos and photographs used to blackmail victims were also recovered, and a money trail amounting to over Rs 5 crore has been identified, officials added. The operation was initiated on May 24 following a tip-off regarding the movement of a suspicious consignment containing synthetic bank account kits in the New Ashok Nagar area, the police said. 'These kits were reportedly being used in various high-tech crimes such as sextortion, cyber fraud, banking scams, debit or credit card cloning — crimes that have seen a recent surge both in frequency and sophistication,' Aditya Gautam, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Crime Branch, said. The intelligence indicated that the kits were to be delivered and distributed near the vicinity of Mayur Vihar Phase-1 Extension, DCP Gautam said, adding that 'an immediate and decisive operational response was formulated'. The operation resulted in the arrests of three men, identified as Ujjawal Pandey, 30, Gaurav Barua, 24, and Yug Sharma, 19. The accused were allegedly arrested with the synthetic kits and associated paraphernalia, including pre-activated SIM cards, forged bank documents, and digital devices used to carry out fraudulent transactions, the police said. These kits enabled fraudsters to bypass KYC norms and execute untraceable financial operations, the police added. Further investigation based on inputs from those arrested led to a raid in the Mundka area where a fake call centre was masquerading as a bank loan provider, according to the police. Here, seven more people were caught. According to the police, the operation was led by Dilshad Ali, who ran the centre along with his associate, Amit, who is currently absconding. The call centre's modus operandi involved luring victims with attractive loan offers, collecting their identification details, and then extorting money under the guise of processing fees before cutting all contact, the police said. Ali, who was previously involved in a 2019 case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the IT Act in Maharashtra, acted as the team leader, the police said. Six call centre employees were also arrested. The police said they were mostly young telemarketers who were computer literate and earning between Rs 8,000 and Rs 9,000 per month. Building on leads from the arrested individuals, another raid was conducted in New Ashok Nagar, resulting in the arrest of four more accused and the exposure of a well-organised sextortion racket, the police said. 'These individuals employed a deceitful method to lure and exploit victims. Initially, they would send friend requests on Facebook and obtain the victim's mobile number through Facebook Messenger. Subsequently, they would initiate a video call on WhatsApp, during which they would stream pornographic clips, secretly recording the victim's screen and reactions using screen recording tools. The recorded content was then used to blackmail the victim under threats of publicly circulating the video on social media platforms, thereby coercing them into transferring money,' said DCP Gautam. The accused in the case come from diverse backgrounds and regions, the police said. Pandey, originally from Krishna Nagar, Delhi, came into the cyber fraud world through his cybercafe venture, according to the police. Barua, a graduate from IGNOU, allegedly transitioned from a legitimate job in an insurance company to fraudulent financial operations. Sharma, the youngest among the arrested, assisted in supplying fake SIM cards and account kits, and Ali, who had a corporate background, played a central role in managing the fraudulent call centre, as per the police. The accused in the sextortion gang were identified as Jahid, 20, Raheesh, 21, and Sohil, 18, all from Deeg in Rajasthan. Jahid, a third-year student, was identified as the alleged ringleader of the sextortion racket, while Raheesh and Sohil allegedly assisted in blackmail operations. Jayshree, a 24-year-old graduate from Alwar University and a former SBI BPO employee, also played a vital role in making calls and luring victims, the police said.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Delhi police busts interstate cybercrime, sextortion syndicate
NEW DELHI The cyber cell of Delhi Police's crime branch busted an interstate cybercrime and sextortion network operating across Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The syndicate has left a digital money trail exceeding ₹5 crore, officials aware of the matter said on Tuesday. Officials said six accused have been arrested and nine more bound down for questioning. The arrests came after, acting on a tip-off, police on May 24 intercepted a delivery of synthetic bank account kits in east Delhi, deputy commissioner of police (crime) Aditya Gautam said. 'During the subsequent raids, Ujjawal Pandey, 30, Gaurav Barua, 24, and Yug Sharma, 19, were caught red-handed in Mayur Vihar with pre-activated SIM cards, forged bank documents, and devices used to manipulate digital transactions. These 'kits' enabled criminals to operate untraceable shadow banking systems,' he said. Subsequent leads led police to an illegal call centre in Mundka, headed by Dilshad Ali, 33, a former insurance employee. The call centre scammed victims by offering fake bank loans, police said. 'Victims were asked for documents and upfront fees via QR codes and then left incommunicado once payments were made. Several employees, including young telecallers, were found complicit,' the DCP said. Further investigation led to a sextortion module operating from New Ashok Nagar. The gang allegedly lured victims via social media, initiated explicit WhatsApp video calls, secretly recorded the sessions, and then extorted money under threat of public exposure. Police identified the other accused as Mohammad Jahid, 20, Mohammad Raheesh, 21, and Jayshree, 24, a former BPO employee who goes by a single name, who allegedly lured and blackmailed targets. 'We have recovered 28 mobile phones, 30 SIM cards, 15 debit cards, eight cheque books, two laptops, and numerous incriminating videos and images. The operation has revealed an alarming nexus of tech-savvy youth, unemployed individuals, and former professionals, all exploiting digital platforms to run parallel economies,' Gautam said.
India Gazette
23-05-2025
- India Gazette
Delhi Police book syndicate facilitating illegal immigrants; 5 questioned
New Delhi [India], May 23 (ANI): In a crackdown on illegal immigration, Delhi police have registered an FIR at Narela Industrial Area Police Station against the syndicate facilitating unlawful entry into the country. The case was registered under Sections 336(2), 336(3), 340(2), 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 14 and 14C of the Foreigners Act, 1946, The police said that five people, who allegedly rented accommodations to illegal immigrants, had been interrogated. One individual has been issued a notice under Section 35(3) of BNS (earlier 41(A) CrPC). The investigation is also focused on tracing the origin of fake documents such as electric meter connections, Aadhaar cards, and voter IDs obtained by illegal immigrants. Relevant departments have been given notices, and legal action will be taken against all those found involved, said the police. Meanwhile, the police said that 121 illegal immigrants have been identified, and after completing the legal procedure, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) has ordered their deportation. Earlier this month, Delhi Police's Crime Branch detained 13 Bangladeshi nationals, including five children, for allegedly residing in India without valid documentation. The individuals were apprehended from village Auchandi in the national capital. According to DCP Crime, Aditya Gautam, 'The detained individuals entered India through unfenced agricultural fields along the India-Bangladesh border and later reached Delhi via Cooch Behar railway station. They reportedly worked as casual labourers in a brick kiln in Kharkhoda, Haryana.' Meanhwile on May 21, the Vigilance Unit of Delhi Police arrested two traffic police personnel posted at Mahadev Chowk in the Samaypur Badli Traffic Circle for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000. The accused, Assistant Sub-Inspector Vijay Kumar and Head Constable Surender, were caught red-handed while taking money from a complainant in exchange for illegal protection to commercial vehicles from traffic challans in the area, as per the Delhi police. According to Delhi police, the complainant approached the Vigilance Unit on May 21, reporting that the traffic officers were demanding money to allow commercial vehicles to operate without being penalised. Taking swift action, a trap was laid by a dedicated Vigilance 5:30 PM, ASI Vijay Kumar contacted the complainant and asked him to come to Mahadev Chowk. The complainant was then taken in a private car driven by HC Surender, with ASI Vijay Kumar also present. The vehicle proceeded to a secluded spot in Sector-30, Rohini, where the exchange was to take on a pre-determined signal from the complainant, the Vigilance team intercepted the vehicle. A search led to the recovery of the bribe amount from ASI Vijay Kumar. (ANI) .
