Badbil Police Bust Organized Cyber Fraud Racket, Four Arrested

Badbil, Keonjhar: In a decisive strike against cybercrime, Keonjhar Police, under the nationwide “Cyber Kawachh” drive, have successfully dismantled an organised cyber fraud racket operating in Badbil.

Acting under the direct supervision of the Superintendent of Police, Keonjhar, a special operation was launched across all police stations in the district, leading to the arrest of four accused.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Mohammad Amir (40) of Barkat Nagar, Ward No. 08; MD. Irshad (29) of K. Ali Mahalla, Ward No. 06; Lalit Kumar Sethy (22) of Kalinga Nagar, Matkambeda; and Ramanuj Lal (30) of Sriram Nagar, Ward No. 04, all residents of Badbil.

The case was registered on February 23, 2026, following a complaint by local resident Neeraj Kumar Sethi, who alleged that the accused lured him with small monetary benefits to open a bank account and obtain a SIM card.

His account and SIM card were later misused for online fraud.

Investigations revealed that the gang was part of a structured cybercrime network functioning in a pyramidal manner.

Their modus operandi involved targeting poor and illiterate individuals, enticing them with cash, and collecting identity documents to open bank accounts and procure SIM cards.

These were then used for a wide range of cyber offences, including phishing, vishing, online job scams, debit/credit card fraud, identity theft, sextortion, and other forms of online cheating.

Police further uncovered the involvement of a mastermind based in Majhgaon, Jharkhand, who coordinated the collection of mule accounts and routed illegal proceeds through them before withdrawing funds.

The arrested accused acted as collectors of bank accounts and SIM cards, forwarding them to the mastermind, who engaged other cyber criminals outside the state.

During the operation, police seized several bank passbooks and five mobile phones. Further investigation is underway to trace additional gang members and identify more victims.

This breakthrough highlights the growing menace of cyber fraud in smaller towns and the proactive measures taken by Keonjhar Police to safeguard citizens under the Cyber Kawachh initiative.