Rourkela, Aug 13: In a major breakthrough, Rourkela Police in Odisha busted a large-scale cyber fraud gang operating across multiple states and with suspected international links reaching Dubai, officials said on Wednesday.

A total of 14 individuals, including two private bank employees, have been arrested in connection with the scam.

The gang allegedly opened over 800 bank accounts using the identities of unsuspecting villagers. These accounts were used to funnel money from cyber fraud operations, with details sent to criminal networks in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, and beyond. The gang targeted vulnerable individuals, collected their Aadhaar details, created SIM cards, and opened bank accounts to facilitate illegal transactions.

During the raid, police seized as many as 10 PAN cards, 15 mobile phones, 4 checkbooks, one laptop, one car and one bullet motorcycle, and numerous bank passbooks linked to fraudulent accounts. 

The operation revealed that the gang was actively depositing and withdrawing cyber fraud money through these accounts. The involvement of bank employees helped the gang bypass verification protocols and expand their network rapidly.

According to DIG Brijesh Rai and SP Nitesh Wadhwani, the gang was active not only in Rourkela but also in neighboring states. The arrests were made in two phases—five suspects were apprehended two days ago, followed by nine more today.

Data from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal shows that Odisha has suffered significant financial losses due to cyber fraud. Between 2021 and January 2025, cyber criminals siphoned off Rs558 crore from the state. Of this, Rs56 crore was successfully blocked and Rs7.76 crore was returned to victims. However, the remaining amount remains unrecovered.

In 2024 alone, as many as 43,740 complaints were registered, while 18,081 were filed in 2023. The numbers reflect a sharp rise in cybercrime, with thousands falling prey to digital scams each year.

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