A 26-year-old man was arrested for allegedly posing as an Army officer and duping people on the pretext of purchasing goods for army school, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, Harish, hails from Hidayatpur village in Palwal district of Haryana. He used to run 'White Global ATM' in Bamni village in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, they said.
As of now, a total of five complaints registered in various states have been identified that are linked to the accused and money trail of more than Rs 70 lakh is found in these fraudulent accounts, police said.
According to police, the matter came to light after a Delhi resident told them that he received a call from an unknown caller on June 30, 2022. The person called him on the pretext of purchasing pipes for army school and introduced himself as an Army officer. The accused duped him of Rs 10,47,605.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Rohit Meena said that the probe team collected all the relevant information including Call Detail Record and WhatsApp chat. All bank details and phone numbers of the accused were analysed.
During investigation, it was found that all the cheated money was withdrawn through ATMs in Bharatpur, Rajasthan after transferring it through several other bank accounts. After thorough analysis and technical evidence, a raid was conducted in Palwal, and accused Harish was arrested, he said.
Interrogation revealed that he is part of a gang whose members introduce themselves as Army officers and cheat people on the pretext of purchasing goods for Army school, he added.
The police have recovered mobile phones and SIM cards used in the crime.
Further investigation is underway to unearth the previous incidents of similar nature and other modus operandi. Besides, previous victims are being contacted on the basis of CDR analysis and WhatsApp chats, the DCP said.