Mumbai Police's Crime Branch has exposed a gang involved in online fraud through fake advertisements for mobile phones on OLX. The police have arrested three accused in the case: Imran Rizwan Ansari, Rizwan Wasi Ahmed Ansari, and Laxman Machhindra Gore. Imran and Laxman, known offenders, already have 17 complaints registered against them for online fraud, traced through their mobile phones and bank accounts. The suspects have been handed over to the Amboli Police for further investigation and are currently in police custody.
The victim, a 23-year-old resident of Malad, works for a private company in Andheri. On March 29, 2023, while at work, he came across an OLX advertisement offering an Apple iPhone 14 Pro for just ₹80,000. Attracted by the low price, he expressed his interest in purchasing the phone and was contacted by Rizwan. Following negotiations, the deal was finalized for ₹63,000, which the victim transferred online. However, instead of the promised phone, the victim received a counterfeit, cloned iPhone.
The fraud took place between March 29 and June 13, 2023. The victim reported the incident to the Amboli Police, who registered a case under IT and fraud-related sections but initially failed to trace the culprits. The case was then marked as "A file." Parallel investigations by the Crime Branch eventually led to a breakthrough.
Assistant Police Inspector Ajay Birajdar received information that the suspects were residing in the Dharavi area. Acting on the tip-off, the police apprehended Imran Ansari, Rizwan Ansari, and Laxman Gore from Dombivli. During interrogation, it was revealed that the trio conspired together to commit the fraud. The accused have since been handed over to the Amboli Police for further legal proceedings.
Imran and Rizwan are residents of Dharavi, while Laxman hails from Dombivli. The trio was in contact with other cybercriminals and used fake bank accounts to launder the fraudulently obtained money. A detailed investigation into their bank accounts revealed 17 complaints against them from various cities, including Mumbai, Gujarat, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Kolkata, Rajasthan, and Mira-Bhayandar.
The suspects were presented before a court, which has remanded them to police custody. Authorities are now probing the wider network of cybercriminals linked to the gang.