In a significant crackdown on an international cyber fraud network, Delhi Police have arrested two individuals with alleged Chinese links for duping a retired Indian Army colonel of ₹41.45 lakh under the guise of high returns from digital gold trading. The arrests were made in southwest Delhi, following an extensive investigation that tracked the digital trail to a hotel in Ahmedabad.
The accused, identified as Indra Kumar Sahani and Rahim Khan, allegedly operated a sophisticated, multi-layered fraud scheme involving mule bank accounts, remote access tools, and cryptocurrency. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Surendra Choudhary, Khan was in direct contact with Chinese nationals through a messaging app and coordinated the operations by gathering account holders from across India into hotel rooms in Ahmedabad.
Once recruited, these individuals’ devices and SIM cards were linked with bank accounts through which illicit transfers were made. Foreign-based scammers were granted remote access to these accounts via specially installed apps, facilitating seamless fund movement without alerting Indian authorities.
The fraud came to light after a retired army colonel residing in Vasant Kunj filed a complaint. He was initially approached on social media and lured into investing in a fake online platform that promised lucrative returns through gold trading in US dollars. After seeing rapid, artificial profits on his fake account, he invested ₹41.45 lakh in total. However, when he attempted to withdraw what appeared to be ₹1 crore in returns, he was asked to pay an additional ₹31.5 lakh as tax, which raised his suspicions and led to the police complaint.
Following digital forensics and surveillance, a police team raided the hotel in Ahmedabad and arrested Sahani. Three smartphones containing incriminating evidence were recovered. Based on his interrogation, Rahim Khan was also arrested, and two more devices were seized.
Police investigations revealed that Sahani initially opened a personal bank account, but later opened nine more current accounts, which he sold to the syndicate for commission. The accused reportedly converted the stolen money into USDT cryptocurrency and transferred it abroad to evade enforcement scrutiny.
Authorities say the case has unearthed a wider cyber fraud network with transnational reach and that further investigation is underway to identify more victims and collaborators.
