Two arrested in ₹1.35-crore digital arrest fraud case

The Kozhikode City Cyber Crime police have arrested two Kannur natives in connection with a digital arrest fraud case in which a Kozhikode woman allegedly lost ₹1.35 crore.

The arrested have been identified as T.M. Mohammed Hanan, 23, of Kathiroor, and T. Mohammed Shahzad, 21, of Koothuparamba.

According to the police, the accused posed as Mumbai Crime Branch officers and contacted the complainant through WhatsApp voice and video calls. They allegedly threatened her, claiming that a SIM card had been obtained using her Aadhaar details and was being used for various financial frauds.

Officials said the accused convinced the woman to transfer the money in her bank accounts for verification by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), promising to return it with interest. The complainant lost a total of ₹1,35,14,000 through 13 transactions from three bank accounts.

The investigation revealed that ₹5 lakh of the defrauded amount had been credited to the bank account of one of the accused. The amount was subsequently withdrawn through cheques and ATMs and transferred to other bank accounts, the police said.

Officials said the investigation had been intensified to identify the other accused, trace the wider financial network through which the money was transferred, and recover the defrauded amount.

A local court remanded the accused in judicial custody.