Gujarat CID arrests Assam man accused of masterminding 1,090 cybercrime cases worth Rs 1,071.5 crore

The Gujarat CID has arrested a 25-year-old man from Assam who allegedly masterminded 1,090 cybercrime cases involving transactions worth around Rs 1,071.5 crore across India and maintained links with China-based cybercriminals, officials said.

The accused, identified as Rafiqul Alam, was arrested by the CID's cyber cell in Barpeta following a technical investigation into an alleged international cybercrime network.

According to investigators, Alam allegedly played a key role in routing money obtained through cyber fraud, including "digital arrest" scams, through a large network of bank accounts. The funds were subsequently converted into cryptocurrency and allegedly transferred to China.

The Gandhinagar-based Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCE) said its investigation found that Alam had transferred suspected proceeds of cybercrime through 1,754 bank accounts across the country. Investigators said the money was divided into smaller transactions to evade financial surveillance.

Police, however, separately put the number of bank accounts traced during the investigation at 1,758.

Investigators also alleged that Alam was in contact with China-based cybercriminals through messaging platforms including WhatsApp and Telegram. Financial details and information related to cybercrime operations were allegedly exchanged through these channels.

The CCE said investigators recovered details of 23 cryptocurrency wallets from Alam's mobile phones. Transactions worth around Rs 16 crore were allegedly carried out through these wallets.

The arrest followed a technical probe into the movement of funds linked to cyber fraud cases reported in different parts of the country. Investigators are continuing to examine the wider network and the role of other individuals allegedly involved in the operation.