Delhi Police Bust Interstate Cyber Syndicate After Patel Nagar Theft, 9 Held
The theft of a mobile phone from an 88-year-old resident in West Patel Nagar led the Delhi Police to uncover and bust an interstate cyber-fraud syndicate operating across Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. Police have arrested nine members of the syndicate, which allegedly ran a three-stage network to steal phones, access linked bank accounts, and siphon off money through mule accounts.
The investigation began after the elderly victim reported his mobile phone stolen on May 19. Two days later, upon getting his SIM card reissued, he received alert messages showing that ₹70,000 had been fraudulently withdrawn from his bank account. The money was transferred in three unauthorised transactions—two of ₹25,000 each and one of ₹20,000. The victim reported the financial fraud on the National Cyber Crime Helpline, and police registered an FIR on July 23.
Through financial transaction mapping and digital surveillance, investigators tracked the network to multiple locations. According to police, the syndicate operated in three distinct modules. Street-level operatives first stole mobile phones from victims. A second group based in Meerut and Ghaziabad supplied mule bank accounts, debit cards, POS machines, and SIM cards. The third module operated a call-centre-like setup from Jaipur, using the stolen devices and credentials to access banking apps and route funds.
A Delhi Police team raided a residential property in Jaipur's Jhotwara, arresting the alleged technical mastermind and main operator, Nikhil Soni. Four of his associates—Abishek Kumar Jha, Anand Sah Sonar, Prince Sah Sonar, and Bishek Kumar Jha—were also arrested at the spot. During the raid, police discovered laptops, tablets, routers, passbooks, and diaries containing victim data, along with ₹4 lakh in cash.
Simultaneously, another police team raided locations in Meerut and Ghaziabad, arresting four alleged mule-account suppliers identified as Amar Jatav, Harsh, Mohan, and Vashu.
Across the raids, officers seized 52 mobile phones, 70 debit cards, 145 SIM cards, 13 bank passbooks, six POS machines, four laptops, two tablet computers, four high-speed internet routers, and ₹4 lakh in cash. The seized devices contained victim information, banking applications, and chat logs, while diaries held detailed transaction ledgers.
Police stated that forensic examination of the confiscated digital devices is currently underway. So far, the syndicate has been linked to 19 complaints registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal across various states, and further financial analysis is ongoing to determine the total siphoned amount.
