Mokokchung police nab Rs 3 cr cyber scam accused

Mokokchung Police have arrested a cyber fraud accused allegedly involved in a scam causing financial losses exceeding Rs. 3 crore, officials said Wednesday.
According to PRO Mokokchung Police, the accused, Anupam Kumar Singh, a resident of Siwan district, Bihar, presently residing at Laitumkhrah, Shillong, was arrested on February 20 following an investigation based on a complaint lodged by a staff member of Mokokchung District Court.
Police said the complaint stated that the court had received an email enclosing a fake court order purportedly issued in the name of a “Judicial Magistrate First Class, Mokokchung.” Upon verification, authorities confirmed that no such post exists in Mokokchung and that the document contained fabricated seals, stamps and signatures.
Police registered a case on January 14 under Sections 319(2) and 338 of BNS, read with Section 66D of the Information Technology Act. Through technical analysis, examination of call detail records and scrutiny of bank transactions, the suspect was traced to Shillong. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by SDPO (HQ) Aekant Jain, IPS, and OC PS-I Vikeheto Kennao, after obtaining a warrant from the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mokokchung, proceeded to Shillong and apprehended the accused with assistance from East Khasi Hills and Shillong City Police.
Investigations revealed that the accused used forged police reports purportedly issued by OC Mokokchchung PS-II and fabricated court orders of magistrate first class Mokokchung to mislead banks into freezing accounts of unsuspecting individuals. He also misused a genuine government email ID to lend credibility and diverted the frozen funds into mule accounts operated by him.
Preliminary findings indicated losses exceeding Rs. 3 crore. The accused is in police custody and further investigation is underway to trace the money trail and identify accomplices.
Police have advised citizens and financial institutions to verify the authenticity of court or police communications before acting and report suspicious correspondence promptly.
SP Mokokchung, commended the SIT for its coordinated efforts in the operation.