A 69-year-old retired scientist and former director in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology was allegedly cheated of Rs 1.25 crore in a digital arrest scam, prompting an investigation that led to the busting of an alleged international syndicate linked to handlers in Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries, officials said on Tuesday.
The investigation began after Pradeep Kumar Das, a retired scientist and former Director in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, alleged that he was cheated of Rs 1.25 crore in a digital arrest scam, police said.
An FIR was registered at the Special Cell police station, and an investigation was launched to trace the money trail and identify those involved. They allegedly claimed that his Aadhaar details had been misused in a money-laundering case and threatened him with arrest. The Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of Delhi Police also secured Rs 7.25 crore in a separate digital arrest case involving a 79-year-old man in Andhra Pradesh and placed a hold on Rs 1.96 crore in bank accounts linked to ongoing fraud investigations, they said. The investigation began after Pradeep Kumar Das, a retired scientist and former Director in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, alleged that he was cheated of Rs 1.25 crore in a digital arrest scam, police said. On August 14, he received a call from persons posing as officers of the Delhi Police, the Anti-Terrorism Squad and the National Investigation Agency. Under the pretext of verifying his funds, the accused allegedly obtained his bank details and induced him to transfer Rs 1,25,09,000 through RTGS to three bank accounts.
They also allegedly kept him under continuous video surveillance and controlled his movements, police said.
