In a significant breakthrough, Darjeeling Police have unearthed an international cybercrime network following the arrest of Md Saidur, a key operative from the Phansidewa police station area in Siliguri. Addressing the media, Darjeeling Superintendent of Police Praween Prakash revealed that Saidur played a pivotal role in facilitating money laundering by renting out bank accounts to the racket.

Saidur, who operated a cyber café in Phansidewa, was linked to cybercrime syndicates based in Gujarat and Mumbai, which, in turn, were connected to a larger operation in Dubai. Saidur visited Gujarat to meet the racketeers, and later, a group of people from Gujarat arrived here to collect SIM cards from him. The racket utilised hundreds of rented bank accounts, many of which were operated from countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka.

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“This is a massive, multi-layered cybercrime operation,” said Mr Prakash. “We have formed a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by an ASP and SDPO to delve deeper into the case.”

Saidur had been evading arrest for nine months before being apprehended by the police. During interrogation, he disclosed critical details about the racket, which exploited bank accounts of unsuspecting individuals across the country. Police investigations revealed that Saidur had provided hundreds of bank accounts from his locality, including the Chater Haat area in Siliguri.

The probe began after complaints from six residents of Chater Haat, eventually uncovering 314 related cases registered with the National Crime Bureau. A raid on Saidur’s residence yielded 414 ATM cards, over 545 passbooks, PAN cards, and other incriminating documents. Saidur’s arrest followed the detention of accomplices Anil Gope, Md Anwar, and Tapan Gope.

According to Mr Prakash, Saidur earned over Rs 60,000 per rented bank account, amassing nearly 1,000 accounts, though police suspect the number could exceed 3,000. The racket facilitated transactions worth Rs 80 crore through 230 accounts, all of which have now been frozen. Additionally, nine accounts belonging to Saidur’s relatives held Rs 35 crore, with transactions traced to multiple locations.

“So far, we have identified fraudulent transactions exceeding Rs 100 crore, but the total could surpass Rs 200 crore,” Mr Prakash added. He cited examples of victims, including a Kolkata woman blackmailed into paying Rs 13 lakh and cases in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka where victims lost Rs 42 lakh. The amounts were funnelled through accounts provided by Saidur.

The investigation is ongoing, with authorities working to uncover the full extent of the racket’s operations and bring all involved to justice.