Bhubaneswar, Sep 22 The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police has arrested a cyber criminal from Assam in connection with the scam related to the sharing of OTPs with Pakistan Intelligence Operatives (PIOs), said a STF official here Friday.
The accused identified as Mohammad Ekbal Hussain, a native of Nagaon district of Assam, was arrested September 19 by the STF in relation to the case (10/23) over OTP sharing scam.
The sleuths had earlier arrested six other persons involved in the scam. The accused Ekbal Hussain brought to Bhubaneswar after getting 5 days transit remand from a local court in Nagaon.
Ekbal Hussain will be produced before the court of SDJM, Bhubaneswar here today.
“Ekbal Hussain was in touch with another accused Abhijeet Sanjay Jambure, earlier arrested from Pune in Maharashtra on June 29 in this case. He was also in touch with Abdul Hamid alias Khurram, a Pakistan Intelligence Officer. He has sold many WhatsApp account OTP, Telegram account OTP and Mule/Ghost Account directly to Hamid,” the STF official added.
The accused Ekbal Hussain has reportedly gone into hiding by switching off his mobile phone after the arrest of prime accused Pathani Samanta Lenka by STF in May this year.
The STF during investigation found that Ekbal Hussain has used at least 37 IMEI Nos (mobile handsets) and more than 500 SIMs. The accused also reportedly confessed that he was earning Rs.50, 000 to Rs.60, 000 every month by selling OTPs of WhtsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, fake pre-activated SIM, mule or ghost accounts to the PIOs.
“He further disclosed that almost all the adult male persons in his village Gandhua Pathar in Nagaon district are involved in this type of Cyber-crime. He and other cyber criminals of his village generally use SIM Nos / Mobile Handsets for around a month and then destroy them by throwing them into river,” stated the STF official.
Notably, the accused Abhijit, Pathani Samanta and others were earlier grilled by the teams of National Investigation Agency (NIA), Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and West Bengal Police.
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