Four arrested in cyber fraud case
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, February 25 2025:
Police have arrested four persons for their alleged involvement in illicit financial transactions linked to a large-scale cyber fraud case and subsequently secured remand of the accused.
The arrests were made by the Cyber Crime Police Station, Manipur, following an investigation that revealed their role in facilitating fraudulent bank transfers and selling mule accounts to cybercriminals operating across multiple states.
Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal West granted seven days remand in police custody for the arrested individuals.
The accused persons have been identified as Ningthoujam Tombisana Singh (45) son of N Brojendro Singh of Singjamei Chingamakha Liwa Road Ningthoujam Leikai, and Kongbrailatpam Ruhinikumar Sharma (59) son of late K Saratchandra Sharma of Tera Amudon Akham Leikai, Sagolband, both in Imphal West district; and Thongam Punikanta Meitei (28) son of Th Basanta Meitei of Charangpat Maning Leikai, and Kshetrimayum Bobo Singh (36) son of late Ksh Ganga Singh of Thokchom Awang Leikai, in Thoubal district.
They were arrested on Monday following an investigation that revealed their involvement in facilitating illicit financial transactions through fraudulent means.
The case originated from a complaint filed by Ningthoujam Tombisana Singh, who reported that on February 13, 2025, he received an SMS from an unknown number containing a suspicious link.
Upon clicking the link, his device automatically downloaded an application named 'SMS Forward'.
Overtime, he was manipulated into submitting sensitive information, including bank details, login credentials, and other personal information, under the pretext of receiving commissions and profits.
Subsequent to sharing his details, his bank account was used to carry out fraudulent transactions, resulting in loss to the tune of over Rs 1.45 crore.
The investigation uncovered that the account was being exploited by cybercriminals for unauthorised transactions.
The reported financial activities were entered into the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), which revealed that the account had connections to multiple fraud cases reported by law enforcement agencies (LEAs) from different states, including Haryana and Odisha.
Further investigation revealed that Tombisana had willingly shared his bank account credentials with Kshetrimayum Bobo, to facilitate fraudulent transactions in exchange for commission.
During interrogations, they admitted their involvement in aiding the transactions and revealed contacts with individuals from other states, indicating a wider network of cybercrime operations.
The inquiry also exposed that the accused had been accumulating and selling mule accounts - bank accounts used for laundering illegally obtained money.
These accounts were used to facilitate fraudulent transactions across various states, with the accused receiving commissions for their participation.
Two individuals named Amarjit and Ranjan, through whom the accused persons arranged mule accounts, are currently at large.
The investigation established that the accused worked in coordination with fraudsters operating from outside Manipur.
Thongam Punikanta and Kongbrailatpam Ruhinikumar admitted their roles during interrogation but have reportedly withheld key information about their associates and the broader modus operandi behind the illegal transactions.
Police also seized various items, including an ICICI cheque book, a mobile phone, and an HP laptop from Ningthoujam Tombisana Singh, along with mobile phones from the other three accused individuals.
Police suspect that the arrested individuals were instrumental in enabling financial crimes that extended beyond the state's borders, facilitating transactions for cybercriminals operating from other states.
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs has repeatedly issued warnings advising citizens not to sell or rent their bank accounts, company registration certificates, or Udyam Aadhaar Registration certificates, as such practices contribute to the rise of cybercrimes.
In their plea before the court, the police highlighted the need for thorough interrogation and further investigation to uncover the full extent of the fraudulent operations.
Police requested a seven-day remand period till March 3, to continue their investigation and identify other individuals associated with the crime.
A regular case under FIR No 4(02)2025 CCPS has been registered against the accused under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections 238/319(2)/318(4)/61(2)/3(5), which pertain to fraudulent activities and cybercrime.
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