New Delhi, June 3 : Delhi Police has arrested three cyber criminals and a juvenile from Bihar's Nalanda and Sheikhpura districts, for cheating people in the pretext of providing oxygen cylinders amid the second wave of the Covid pandemic.
The arrested accused have been identified as Balender Chaudhary, Gopal, Kameshwar Prasad and a juvenile.
This is the second such arrest from Bihar's Nalanda in recent days. Earlier, the Crime Branch of Delhi Police had arrested several members of Chotte Chaudhqry gang.
The arrests were made by the cyber cell police of South District of Delhi Police.
Police recovered 15 mobile phones, 13 fake SIM cards, three ATM cards, four fake Aadhaar cards, two fake PAN cards, five bank passbooks and one post office saving passbook.
The arrest was made on the complaint of Harleen Kaur, who had approached the police stating that her father tested positive for Covid and she needed an oxygen cylinder.
In her complaint, Kaur alleged that she got a mobile number via social media. She called the number and one person who disclosed his name as Pankaj promised that he can provide the oxygen gas cylinder on advance payment of Rs 7,500 for each cylinder and also provided a bank account number for transferring the payment.
Following that she transferred Rs 15,000 as advance payment in the bank account for two oxygen cylinders but she did not receive any and the accused stopped receiving the phone calls of the complainant thereafter.
A case was registered at Greater Kailash police station and several similar complaints were also received.
The official said that a joint team of Greater Kailash police station and Cyber cell of Chitranjan park was constituted to identify and nab the culprits.
The police official said that the team conducted technical investigation and details of alleged cheats were obtained and analyzed.
"Location of calling mobile number was found in Nalanda, Bihar and the account of accused was also from Nalanda," the official said.
"The joint team rushed to Nalanda. The information was further developed and shared with local sources following which four suspects were identified. Accordingly, with the help of technical support and local police stations, raids were conducted and four accused persons were arrested.
Explaining the modus operandi of the cheaters, the police official said that all the accused persons are members of an organised syndicate, who cheat those who are in need of oxygen cylinders.
He said that each person plays his role in this syndicate.
DCP South Atul Kumar Thakur said that the juvenile used to arrange the bank ATM cards of poor persons, who require the money and sold it to accused Gopal for Rs 10,000.
Kameshwar sold his bank account and ATM card to Rahul for Rs 2,000. While Balender used to call the persons who required oxygen cylinders, Thakur said.
Thakur also said that Gopal used to arrange the fake SIM cards for calling and withdrawal of the money by the ATM card.
With the arrest of three accused and a juvenile, the police has worked out three cases registered in South district district Delhi.
