Surat police have uncovered a major cybercrime operation involving the movement of ₹1,455 crore through 89 bank accounts over a period of just six months. Three local men Kirat Jadwani, Meet Khokhar, and Mayur Italia were arrested after a routine vehicle check led to the discovery of multiple debit cards, cheque books, and PAN cards in their possession. This unexpected find prompted a deeper investigation into their financial activities.
Police revealed that the accused had opened 165 bank accounts using documents based on fake loan pledges. These accounts were then provided to international cybercriminals from countries like Cuba, Thailand, and Malaysia. The accounts were used for carrying out illegal online scams, including task fraud and other forms of digital cheating.
Once money was deposited into these bank accounts, it was quickly transferred to other accounts or converted into cryptocurrency, making it difficult to track. Each of these accounts handled between ₹30 and ₹40 crore in transactions. In exchange for access to the accounts, the accused collected high rents and commissions, earning around ₹10 crore for their role in the fraud.
The scale of the operation became evident as the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal received nearly 2,500 complaints related to scams involving these bank accounts. Following the reports, active accounts were frozen immediately to prevent further losses.
Police officials emphasized that this case shows how cybercriminals are increasingly relying on fake documents and rented bank accounts to launder money and avoid detection. Investigations are ongoing to identify additional people who may have been involved in or benefited from the scheme.