Ahmedabad: The Gujarat CID (Crime) and the Railways’ Cyber Centre have busted a ₹200-crore cybercrime network operating between Gujarat and Dubai. Police have arrested six individuals in what they described as one of India’s most sophisticated cyber-fraud syndicates, responsible for large-scale online scams, cryptocurrency laundering, and illegal overseas fund transfers through hawala and angadia channels.

According to officials, the accused were running multiple frauds simultaneously, including fake loan schemes, bogus part-time job offers, and high-return investment traps. A detailed probe into their seized mobile phones revealed links to over 100 bank accounts used to circulate stolen funds. The syndicate is believed to be connected to at least 386 cybercrime cases across India, including 29 in Gujarat.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Mahesh Solanki and Rupen Bhatiya from Morbi, Rakesh Lania and Rakeshkumar Dekawadiya from Lakhatar in Surendranagar, and Naviya Khambhaliya and Pankit Kanthariya from Surat.

Officials said the gang used a layered system to launder money. Funds were deposited into fake or “mule” bank accounts, withdrawn in Morbi, and sent to Surat via angadia couriers. The cash was then converted into cryptocurrency, mainly USDT (Tether), and transferred to Dubai through crypto wallets and hawala networks.

To conceal their operations, the accused set up a bogus trading firm in the local market yard and opened multiple mule accounts for cheque clearances, ATM withdrawals, and crypto transactions. Some account holders received monthly payments of ₹25,000, while intermediaries earned ₹650 for every ₹1 lakh laundered.

Police have also seized 12 mobile phones, two SIM cards, and detailed financial records. The investigation is now focusing on the syndicate’s international links and the masterminds behind the Dubai connection. DeshGujarat