New Delhi

A 27-year-old man from Bihar was arrested at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru for his alleged involvement in a cyber fraud case where ₹78 lakh ($92,907) was siphoned from a Gurugram resident, police said on Tuesday (Sept 3). 

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The suspect, who was attempting to flee the country at the time of his arrest, is fluent in Mandarin and had previously studied in Beijing. He has been operating a cyber fraud gang in India on behalf of a Chinese national for the past three years, according to police.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cybercrime) Siddhant Jain said that evidence found on the suspect's mobile phone, including WhatsApp and Telegram chats, indicated that he was in regular communication with the Chinese national orchestrating the fraud. The suspect, identified as Bharti, had been instructed by another gang member based in Thailand to join him there to further the gang's operations. 

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Bharti was en route to Thailand after arriving in Bengaluru from Aurangabad when he was apprehended.

“We have issued notices to both messaging apps to obtain details that could help us trace the identity and location of the foreign national involved,” Jain was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times. 

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He added that three mobile phones, two SIM cards, and ₹30,000 ($357) in cash were recovered from Bharti’s possession. The phones will undergo forensic analysis to retrieve any deleted data.

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During his time in Beijing, Bharti reportedly connected with the Chinese suspect, which led to his involvement in cybercriminal activities. 

"Upon his return to India in 2021, Bharti began assisting the suspect by establishing a gang, managing communications with members, and providing access to at least six bank accounts used to defraud victims across India," Jain added.

Notably, one of Bharti’s recent victims was a 55-year-old housewife from Gurugram, who lost ₹78 lakh in a task-based fraud. 

Investigators managed to freeze some of the stolen funds and return a portion to the victim’s bank account. Police are still searching for at least two more suspects connected to the case.