Vadodara, Feb 20 A fugitive accused in a cybercrime case and wanted for impersonating a CBI officer was arrested, said officials in Gujarat's Vadodara on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Shahrukh alias Salman Shabbirmiya Mansuri, was orchestrating fraudulent activities to extort money from unsuspecting victims. The case was registered by the Surat Cyber Crime Police Station.
According to reports, the Panigate police team in Vadodara was on routine patrol when they received intelligence regarding the whereabouts of the accused. Based on the tip-off, officers swiftly acted and arrested Mansuri, a resident of Haidarichowk in Vadodara's Mehdinagar. Legal proceedings against him are now underway.
Mansuri allegedly contacted individuals while pretending to be a Delhi Customs official or a Delhi Vasant Kunj South Police officer.
In some instances, he even posed as a senior CBI official to deceive victims. His fraudulent scheme involved falsely claiming that the victims' parcels contained 16 fake passports, 58 ATM cards, and 140 grams of MD drugs. He further threatened them with cases related to human trafficking and money laundering.
To make his fraud appear legitimate, Mansuri sent a bogus CBI "Confidential Agreement" and warned victims that a CBI raid would be conducted at their residences. Under this pretence, he tricked a complainant into transferring Rs 23.50 lakh to his account, out of which Rs 7 lakh was funnelled into his personal bank account.
Authorities are conducting further inquiries to identify any additional victims and accomplices involved in this elaborate cyber fraud.
The police urge citizens to remain vigilant against such scams and report suspicious activities to law enforcement immediately.
Gujarat has witnessed several cases of fraudsters impersonating CBI officers to extort money from unsuspecting victims. These criminals use various deceptive tactics, such as threats of legal action and promises of assistance, to convince their targets to transfer large sums of money. One notable case occurred in October 2024, when a senior citizen in Ahmedabad was defrauded of Rs 1.26 crore by individuals based in Cambodia.
The fraudsters posed as a CBI officer and even the Chief Justice of India, placing the victim under a so-called 'digital arrest.' They coerced him into transferring funds by falsely accusing him of involvement in money laundering and drug smuggling. The case led to the arrest of four residents who had facilitated the fraud by allowing their bank accounts to be used for illicit transactions.
Another case in September 2024 involved Bharat Chhabra, who was arrested in Haryana for posing as a CBI officer. Chhabra deceived individuals by claiming high-level political connections, including ties to the Prime Minister’s Office and Chief Minister’s Office. Exploiting this false identity, he solicited money in exchange for fake favours and even stayed in hotels without paying, using his assumed status to gain trust.
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