Ahmedabad / Barpeta, Gujarat CID cyber cell has arrested a 25-year-old man from Barpeta, Assam, accusing him of being the alleged mastermind behind 1,090 cybercrime cases that caused losses totalling ₹1,071.5 crore nationwide, officials said on Monday.
Alleged operation and arrest
The Crime Investigation Department’s Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCE), headquartered in Gandhinagar, said the suspect, named in the FIR as Rafiqul Alam, was detained after a three-day reconnaissance of his residence in Barpeta. The agency said technical analysis and victims’ statements guided the operation and led to seizure of his electronic devices.
"Based on technical analysis and the victims' statement, a team from CCE visited Barpeta city and conducted a three-day recce of the house of the main money launderer in disguise and arrested him along with his technical gadgets," the CCE said.
The CCE said the accused allegedly coordinated with China-based criminals using messaging platforms and played a central role in moving tainted funds into numerous Indian bank accounts before converting large sums into cryptocurrencies.
Pattern of alleged offences
According to the Gujarat CID, the accused's alleged modus operandi involved receiving proceeds from different fraud types — including what investigators described as "digital arrest" scams — then rapidly splitting and transferring those sums into many accounts across India. The CCE said this fragmentation was intended to keep the transactions below the radar of financial surveillance agencies.
- Number of cases: 1,090 alleged cybercrimes
- Alleged total loss: ₹1,071.5 crore
- Bank accounts used: 1,758 accounts reportedly received funds
- Cryptocurrency transfers: Portions of the proceeds were converted into crypto and reportedly sent to contacts in China
Investigative details and cross-border angle
The CCE said investigators found evidence of direct exchanges of financial and technical information — including scanner data, user IDs and crypto wallet details — between the accused and persons overseas. Messaging apps named in the agency's summary were WhatsApp and Telegram, described as channels used to communicate with alleged foreign collaborators.
Gujarat CID also linked the arrest to preventive action in separate cases where senior citizens were targeted with fake documents purporting to be from police or higher courts, a tactic described as "digital arrest" to extort money. The CCE said counselling and intervention prevented about 10 such incidents in other states during its probe.
Seized material
| Item | Reported status |
|---|---|
| Electronic gadgets | Seized at arrest |
| Bank account trail | Funds traced to 1,758 accounts across India |
| Crypto transfers | Portions converted and transferred abroad |
Implications and next steps
The case highlights the evolving nexus between domestic money laundering and international cryptocurrency flows, a concern for investigators tracking cross-border cyber-enabled financial crime. The Gujarat CID said the matter remains under active investigation and further arrests or actions may follow as the probe develops.
Authorities have not provided details on prosecution timelines or the specific charges filed. Victim-count specifics beyond the number of cases were not released in the initial CCE statement.
Context for Assam
Arrests of persons residing in the North-East in multi-state cybercrime probes underline the national reach of such networks. Local law-enforcement and financial institutions in Assam have increasingly been advised by central agencies to strengthen public awareness about scams that use impersonation, fake legal documents and pressure tactics.
The Gujarat CID said the operation combined technical forensic work with field surveillance and victim counselling. Investigators emphasised that rapid splitting of payments into many accounts, and subsequent conversion to cryptocurrencies, are common strategies used to obscure illicit financial trails.
Further details on the accused’s links, bank accounts involved and crypto transfer destinations were being examined, the CID statement added.
Reporting from Barpeta and Gandhinagar contributed to this dispatch.
