Chennai: Central Crime Branch sleuths have busted an inter-state cyber fraud network by arresting a 35-year-old man from Manipur for using a fake mobile app to defraud people across India. Thounaojam Inaobi Singh was arrested in Bengaluru and remanded in Chennai on Monday.Singh played a key role in siphoning ₹20 lakh from the bank account of Anand Krishnakumar, 74, who lost ₹2.79 crore in an online trading scam. Police said Singh disguised himself as an online delivery executive to avoid suspicion while carrying out the fraud. He was fluent in Hindi, Manipuri and Bengali, which helped him coordinate with members of the network operating in multiple states.Police seized two mobile phones, four SIM cards, 23 debit cards, a passport, nine rental agreements, among other documents from him. They also recovered three mobile phones, a tablet, a cheque book, company seals and other incriminating documents from other accused linked to the network.The arrest formed part of a wider crackdown by the Cyber Crime Cell on digital scams. Recently, six special investigation teams conducted coordinated operations in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, arresting 14 accused, including four against whom non-bailable warrants were pending. All of them were sent to the Puzhal prison.A senior police officer said the arrests were connected to eight cybercrime cases involving eight victims. The total amount defrauded in these cases stood at ₹31.10 crore, with the highest loss in a single case amounting to ₹14.74 crore.
