KAPURTHALA, Sept 24 — Police in Kapurthala have arrested 39 people in connection with a multi-crore cyber fraud network, recovering more than ₹2 crore in cash and seizing dozens of electronic devices. Officials said the group was running an illegal call centre that defrauded people overseas by posing as software service providers.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Toora confirmed that the most recent arrest was made Tuesday when a Rajasthan native, Pawan Kumar, was picked up from Ludhiana. “We have recovered ₹2.5 crore in cash from his possession,” Toora said, adding that further arrests are expected as the investigation unfolds.
The crackdown began with a raid on September 19, when the district cyber cell stormed a resort in Phagwara and dismantled the operation. At the time, 38 people — including several women — were taken into custody. Police also seized 40 laptops, 67 mobile phones and ₹10 lakh in cash during that raid.
Investigators said the racket primarily targeted victims in the United States and Canada. Suspects allegedly offered fake software support, gained remote access to computers and siphoned money. Preliminary findings suggest the network was headed by Amrinder Singh, alias Sabhi Tohri, who had leased the Phagwara resort to run the operation. He reportedly coordinated with Suraj of New Delhi and another suspect named Shen from Kolkata.
Transactions were routed through Bitcoin as well as traditional hawala channels, police said. The accused face charges under Sections 111 (organized crime), 318(4) (cheating), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the Information Technology Act.
According to police, the suspects come from across the country, including Punjab, Delhi, Nagaland, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Haryana, Odisha, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
“The network is far-reaching and deeply coordinated,” SSP Toora noted, adding that authorities are working to trace money flows and identify additional links in the chain.
