Patna: Police have arrested five members of an alleged fraud gang operating from a rented flat in Shivpuri, accused of targeting victims through online gaming and betting applications.
The arrests were made following a raid by officers from Shastri Nagar police station, who recovered 21 mobile phones, eight SIM cards, laptops, and multiple debit and credit cards from the premises. Many of the devices already had gaming applications installed, which investigators believe were used to lure victims.
The accused have been identified as Shashank Shekhar, Manish Kumar and Rishu Kumar, all residents of Aurangabad, Suryadeep Raj from Gaya, and Sachin Kumar from Rohtas. Police said some of those arrested are science graduates.
According to Saket Kumar, sub-divisional police officer (Secretariat-2), a special team was formed under the leadership of station officer Ravindra Kumar to conduct the raid. The alleged mastermind of the operation, identified only as Ankit, remains at large, with further searches under way.
Investigators said the group had been active for around a year and used a range of tactics to defraud victims in India and abroad. Clients were reportedly recruited through online platforms and encouraged to install gaming applications. Once onboarded, each user was assigned a code name, which was used for all subsequent communication and transactions.
Victims were initially promised small profits of Rs 200 to Rs 400 to build trust. As their involvement deepened, larger sums were solicited and allegedly siphoned off. Similar methods were used in online betting schemes, police said, with preparations reportedly under way to exploit interest in the upcoming IPL season.
Officers believe the group maintained contact with more than 300 victims using coded identities. Transactions were routed through multiple accounts, making tracing more difficult.
Police also said the operation appeared to be part of a larger, organised network. The arrested individuals were allegedly responsible for identifying and trapping victims, and transferring funds to other handlers. These handlers would then withdraw the money and pass it on to the mastermind.
Authorities added that separate teams were involved in account handling and technical support, indicating a multi-layered structure. Efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend other members of the network.
