Investment fraud targeting Indians from Nepal: Mangaluru police arrest 11 people
Mangaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): The Mangaluru Cyber Crime Police have arrested 11 people allegedly linked to an organised investment fraud syndicate operating from Nepal that targeted Indian citizens and siphoned off crores of rupees, police said on Thursday.
According to the commissioner of Police Mangaluru City Sudheer Kumar Reddy, the cross-border network involved Indian operatives coordinating online investment scams through social media platforms. Five additional suspects remain absconding, while foreign associates are being probed separately.
Digital forensic examination of seized devices revealed details of 624 bank accounts suspected to have routed fraudulent proceeds. Over 4,580 complaints linked to these accounts are recorded on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
Investigators said one account alone saw transactions exceeding Rs 167 crore.
The case registered at the cyber police station relates to a complaint in which a victim was allegedly cheated of Rs 1.38 crore through transfers to 10 bank accounts now linked to multiple cybercrime cases nationwide.
Police said the syndicate recruited account holders through Instagram and Telegram, promising commissions and jobs, before diverting funds into cryptocurrency and transferring them abroad.
Authorities also warned of 'digital slavery', where Indian youths are lured overseas on false job assurances and forced into cyber fraud operations.
Those arrested were identified as Makvan Vikram (25) of Gujarat; Soumyaditya Chattopadhyay (21) of West Bengal; Pupla Shiva Kumar Rao (32), Rajesh Mandan (30), and Mithun Kumar Mangaraj (38) of Jharkhand; Gaurav Pandey (24), Harsh Mishra (22), Mohammed Akeeb Ali (27), and Naushad Ali (34) of Uttar Pradesh; Rajiv Ranjan Kumar (30) of Bihar; and Om Prakash Yadav (37) of Rajasthan.
Police seized a laptop, 21 mobile phones, 20 SIM cards and multiple debit and credit cards.
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French President Macron concludes Mumbai visit
Mumbai (PTI): French President Emmanuel Macron, along with First Lady Brigitte Macron, left Mumbai for New Delhi on Wednesday after concluding his engagements here, including bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
They were seen off at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport by Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde.
On Tuesday, Macron held discussions with Modi as part of efforts to further strengthen India-France strategic ties.
During the Mumbai visit, the French president and his wife also met some of India's top filmmakers and actors, and had an animated exchange with them about cinema, culture and collaboration.
President Macron is on an official visit to India from February 17 to 19 at the invitation of PM Modi to participate in the AI Impact Summit hosted by India in the national capital Delhi, besides the bilateral summit in Mumbai.
PM Modi will inaugurate the summit on February 19. As many as 20 heads of states, including French President Macron, will be present at the inaugural session, Electronics and IT Secretary S Krishnan said.
