Surat: Posing as officials from some of Canada’s most trusted govt agencies, a gang operating from a bungalow in Vapi allegedly threatened unsuspecting Canadian citizens with arrest and criminal prosecution before extorting money from them through gift card scams. The operation came to an end on Thursday when Valsad police’s special operations group (SOG) raided the premises and arrested 11 people.The accused — nine men and two women — were apprehended from a bungalow in the Hariya Park area of Vapi, where police suspect an illegal call centre was being run to target foreign nationals. The raid was conducted after police received specific information about a cyberfraud network operating from the location.During the search, investigators recovered files, computer data and other records containing details of Canadian citizens. Police also seized seven laptops, 16 mobile phones and five Wi-Fi routers believed to have been used in the operation.According to investigators, the accused relied on internet-based calling applications such as X-Lite and Aphone and used voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology to make calls to victims in Canada. The callers allegedly introduced themselves as officials from agencies including Canada Post, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).Victims were told that a parcel addressed to them had been intercepted and found to contain prohibited items. The callers then allegedly warned that criminal cases would be registered against them and that they could face arrest or other legal action unless they cooperated.To make the threats appear genuine, the accused reportedly shared forged notices and letters carrying the logos and letterheads of Canadian government agencies. Once the victims were convinced that they were dealing with genuine authorities, they were pressured into purchasing gift cards and sharing the secret redemption codes.Police said the fraudsters would then use the codes to convert the gift card value into cash, effectively siphoning money from the victims without leaving a conventional banking trail.Investigators have identified one Rajesh alias Raj as the alleged mastermind behind the operation. Police said he remains absconding. Preliminary findings suggest that Rajesh coordinated the racket through a WhatsApp group, where members shared call scripts, victim-handling techniques and operational instructions.Police are now examining digital evidence recovered from the premises to identify more victims, trace financial transactions and uncover possible links to other cyber fraud networks.
