Investigation Leads to Arrest of Cyber Criminal Involved in Multi-Crore Scam

The Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) has successfully apprehended a 22-year-old man from Gujarat in connection with a nationwide cyber scam amounting to a staggering Rs 15.2 crore. The suspect, identified as Hunter Erich, had more than 100 cyber crime complaints registered against him across multiple states in India. Deputy Superintendent of Police Ankush Mishra, who heads the cyber crime police station of STF, disclosed that the accused was wanted in 17 states.

The arrest came after a complaint was filed by a resident of Dehradun, who reported being contacted by an unknown individual through WhatsApp. Posing as an official from a reputable company, the scammer lured the victim with enticing part-time work from home opportunities. The victim was added to a Telegram group where he was given tasks and promised a 30 to 40 percent profit on investments through various Telegram handles. However, the complainant eventually realized that he had been defrauded of Rs 34.04 lakh, according to Mishra.

Following the complaint, an FIR was registered at the cyber crime police station in Dehradun under sections 420, 120 B of the Indian Penal Code, and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act. Inspector Vijay Bharti was assigned the case and initiated a thorough investigation. Through meticulous technical analysis, the team successfully tracked down the accused’s location to Narol in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, leading to his arrest.

During the arrest, the police recovered crucial evidence, including documents pertaining to 12 bank accounts. These accounts were allegedly used by the accused and his gang to carry out transactions amounting to over Rs 15.2 crore in the past three months alone. Mishra further revealed that the accused was involved in hawala operations and had established a shell company named Shah Enterprise in Mohali, Punjab. This company served as a conduit for fraudulent transactions worth crores of rupees, which were funneled into different accounts belonging to various companies.

“Our teams are currently interrogating the arrested individual and will actively pursue other culprits involved in this case,” stated Mishra, assuring further progress in the investigation.