Jammu and Kashmir Police Unravels Massive Transnational Fraud, Nabs Nine

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have successfully dismantled a massive transnational online investment scam, leading to the arrest of nine individuals. The operation was sparked by a complaint from Firdous Ahmad Mir, a resident of Safapora Ganderbal, alleging identity theft and cheating by an online fraud gang.

Under the leadership of SSP Ganderbal Khalil Ahmad Poswal, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising subject matter experts was formed to probe the case. Their rigorous investigation revealed a web of deceit involving online websites that lure unsuspecting investors before rerouting their funds through bank accounts from areas such as Budgam and Srinagar into international money laundering networks.

Identified as the main handler, Ekant Yogdutt, dubbed 'Dr. Morphine', has been arrested. He is linked to Chinese nationals and learned fraudulent techniques while pursuing his MBBS in the Philippines. The scam, involving the recruitment of local account holders and bank employees supplying QR codes, netted Rs 209 crore and is expected to exceed Rs 400 crore after verification. Authorities urge the public to avoid scams promising unrealistically high returns and report any suspicious activities to cybercrime government portals.