The Gujarat State Cyber Crime Cell arrested a Mumbai-based man accused of being part of a transnational extortion racket.
The accused, Chetan Ganpat Kokre, was apprehended from the Gitanagar area of Colaba, Mumbai, in connection with a ₹3.99 crore scam targeting a prominent doctor from Ahmedabad.
The doctor, who remains unnamed, was ensnared in a meticulously planned scam in July 2024.
Posing as law enforcement officials and corporate representatives, the gang used a fabricated narrative to coerce the victim into believing he was implicated in a criminal case.
For ten harrowing days, the gang kept the victim under what they termed “digital arrest”, a nonexistent legal concept, to extort money.
According to police officials, Kokre impersonated a FedEx employee and informed the doctor of a suspicious parcel allegedly booked in his name.
The parcel purportedly contained items such as passports, credit cards, a laptop, clothes, and 750 grams of MDM (a controlled substance).
When the doctor denied any connection to the parcel, the scammer weaponised personal information gleaned from the victim’s social media accounts to lend credibility to their claims.
The accused then directed the victim to individuals posing as senior police officers, namely “DCP Anand Rana” and “Milind Barmad” from the Mumbai Crime Branch.
These fake officials claimed they were investigating the matter and falsely warned the victim of impending criminal charges.
Using Skype calls to maintain anonymity, the gang coerced the victim into a state of panic, threatening him with severe consequences unless he cooperated.
Over ten days, the doctor transferred ₹3.99 crore to the scammers, believing it was the only way to clear his name.
The Gujarat CID Crime team launched an investigation after the doctor filed a complaint. Technical analysis and electronic trail mapping led them to Kokre, a 27-year-old student residing in Colaba.
During the arrest, police recovered two mobile phones, four ATM cards, two credit cards, and four chequebooks.
Dharmendra Sharma, Superintendent of Police (CID Crime and Railways), revealed that Kokre was a caller tasked with targeting potential victims.
“The gang operates with a team of over 45 members stationed in Cambodia, who impersonate law enforcement officers. Kokre would receive leads on high-profile individuals from a third party. He would then filter targets based on their financial and social backgrounds, using information from social media to execute the fraud,” Sharma said.
The investigation has also uncovered the international dimensions of the scam.
The Chinese-Cambodian gang allegedly employs a sophisticated network of operatives who work across countries to deceive victims.
Authorities are now pursuing leads to identify other members and uncover the full extent of their operations.
Officials have clarified that there is no such legal term as “digital arrest”.
It is a fictitious concept invented by scammers to manipulate victims into believing they are under investigation for fabricated crimes.
By creating a sense of urgency and fear, the fraudsters exploit their targets’ vulnerabilities, extorting large sums of money.