Kochi police crack multi-crore cyber scams; two masterminds nabbed in Hyderabad

KOCHI: In a major breakthrough against transnational cybercrime, the Kochi City Cyber Police have apprehended two key suspects in Hyderabad linked to multi-crore fraud cases. The arrests conclude a high-stakes, 10-day undercover operation targeting individuals facilitating global scam networks.

The primary suspect, Niranjan Chaudhary, 40, is allegedly a major operative for a Cambodia-based syndicate. He is accused of orchestrating a "virtual arrest" scam that swindled a 77-year-old Kochi resident out of ₹6 crore. Police reports indicate that Chaudhary utilised his business front, Shanthan Arts and Printers, to launder at least ₹3 crore of the stolen funds through multiple accounts before transferring the capital abroad.

Simultaneously, the police captured Syed Hassan Ali, 39, the suspected mastermind behind a ₹38 lakh trading fraud involving a local physician. Investigations reveal Ali is a vital node in a Dubai-based cybercrime hierarchy with a staggering record of 31 criminal complaints filed against him across India. Law enforcement successfully froze ₹2.71 crore held in Ali’s accounts during the raid.

The dual arrests were a result of strategic intelligence gathering. While the 11-member task force was initially dispatched to track Chaudhary, digital footprints led them to Ali's location in the same city. Despite no direct link between the two men, officials confirmed both served as local facilitators for international criminal syndicates.

The operation was led by Cyber Crime ACP Anilkumar and Inspector Shameer Khan, under the direct supervision of City Police Commissioner Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar and DCP Shahansha. The suspects were produced before a Hyderabad court and brought to Kochi on a transit warrant for further interrogation.