Gujarat CID has arrested 25-year-old Rafiqul Alam in a probe spanning 1,090 alleged cybercrime cases involving ₹1,071.5 crore. Investigators allege Alam helped route proceeds from digital arrest and other cyber frauds through multiple Indian bank accounts before converting portions into cryptocurrency. Police said 23 crypto wallets containing transactions worth about ₹16 crore were found on his phone. Authorities also allege communications with China-based criminals involving financial credentials and crime methods. The investigation is examining the wider international network and movement of alleged proceeds.
Assam Man With China Links Arrested in Rs 1,071 Crore Cyber Fraud Probe
Gujarat CID has arrested 25-year-old Rafiqul Alam in Assam, claiming his link to 1,090 cybercrime cases and criminals based in China who are involved in the movement and conversion of proceeds of fraud.
Gujarat CID has arrested a 25-year-old man from Assam in connection with 1,090 cybercrimes worth Rs 1,071.5 crore, and claimed to have found his links with criminals based in China.
Police said Alam allegedly helped transfer tainted proceeds from digital arrest and other cyber fraud cases through bank accounts across the country before converting portions into cryptocurrency.
Alam was identified as a key money launderer and alleged mastermind of an international cybercrime network, the Gandhinagar-based Cyber Center of Excellence said.
The case came to light along with another one where a senior citizen from Ahmedabad was threatened with arrest with the help of forged documents of the Maharashtra Police and Supreme Court, the investigators said.
Based on technical evidence and statements of the victims, the CID Cyber Cell conducted a three-day-long reconnaissance operation in Barpeta city and finally arrested Alam along with electronic devices.
Police said the accused moved the proceeds of the fraud into multiple accounts and quickly split large sums into smaller transactions, in an alleged bid to evade financial surveillance systems.
The CCE said the money was distributed in 1,754 bank accounts in India within an hour, while a broader probe separately identified 1,758 accounts.
The digital arrest scams usually involve fraudsters pretending to be police, courts or investigative agencies, threatening and using fake documents to coerce victims into transferring money to them.
Rafiqul Alam’s Alleged China Links and Cryptocurrency Trail
The investigators found 23 cryptocurrency wallets on the mobile phones of Alam, with transactions amounting to Rs 16 crore, suggesting a large cryptocurrency component in the alleged operation.
The CCE alleged that Alam directly shared financial information such as scanners, user IDs, passwords, crypto wallets and crime methods with the China-based criminals on WhatsApp and Telegram.
Authorities also discovered alleged illegal cryptocurrency trading via the Chip Seller app and gaming account transactions on the accused’s mobile phones.
Police said the probe revealed that proceeds of the cyber fraud were allegedly routed through multiple financial channels before being converted into cryptocurrency and moved out of India.
The alleged network’s methods included a combination of digital arrest fraud and other cyber offenses, with the investigation following financial flows rather than solely relying on complaints from victims, police said.
The arrest was part of a larger investigation into alleged countrywide and international cybercrime activity involving several victims, Gujarat Police and the CCE said, PTI reported.
Also Read: ED Searches 22 Locations in Karnataka Veterinary Recruitment Case.
Digital Arrest Victims Rescued Through CCE Intervention
Meanwhile, CCE teams helped prevent the 10 suspected digital arrest cases by probing a senior citizen’s bank account and visiting potential victims across a number of Indian states.
A CCE team counseled a senior citizen in Ahmedabad, who was threatened with a case of child pornography and asked for Rs 20 lakh.
In another case, a Surat senior citizen was allegedly threatened by men posing as police asking for Rs 60 lakh, saying Enforcement Directorate action would be initiated against him.
A Surat resident tried to get Rs 40 lakh by selling a flat, and when that did not work out, he sold his shop for Rs 20 lakh.
The CCE said counseling helped save 10 individuals from Gujarat, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, emphasizing how intervention can break digital arrest scams before payments are made.
Sprouts News has learned the investigation sheds light on the increasingly complex links between impersonation fraud, fast bank transfers, cryptocurrency movement and cross-border criminal networks.
Investigation Into Wider Cybercrime Network Continues
The case also demonstrates the importance of technical analysis, financial monitoring and victim counseling to detect suspected fraud networks and avoid further losses.
Further investigation is expected to provide insight into the structure of the full network, identify more beneficiaries and determine how financial data and cryptocurrency transfers flowed between India and China.
So far, authorities have uncovered what they believe to be a suspected system of digital impersonation, financial layering, cryptocurrency transactions and cross-border communications. The investigation continues.
The arrest came after technical analysis and statements from victims, and investigators are expected to review more devices, accounts, wallets and communications for evidence in relation to the alleged network.
