Law enforcement officials have dismantled a significant cyber fraud operation involving Nigerian students in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India. One individual, identified as Saifu Mayana Umar, who is pursuing a Master’s in Nursing, has been taken into custody.
Reports from local media suggest that victims were misled into believing they were making investments in international companies and the stock market.
So far, investigators have discovered direct connections between the group and at least 16 different cases of cyber fraud.
Umar, along with associates including a person named Yusuf and other Nigerians, allegedly established a structured scheme to defraud individuals.
The fraudsters attracted victims with promises of lucrative returns from investments in overseas businesses and stock trading activities.
After victims transferred their funds, the money was swiftly withdrawn through various bank accounts and ATMs to evade detection.
Authorities have traced approximately ₹45 lakh in transactions related to Umar's bank account, which are tied to 16 fraud reports mainly from southern Indian states.
Complaints regarding these incidents had been lodged on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, prompting security alerts and the dissemination of information about suspicious bank accounts to local law enforcement.
In the course of the investigation, cybercrime teams from several states got involved.
Units from Telangana and Tamil Nadu collaborated closely with the Meerut police, providing essential intelligence that led to the apprehension of the suspect at his hostel.
Police revealed that interrogations have produced vital information, and efforts are underway to identify and locate other members of the criminal network.
The search led to the recovery of various items from the suspect, including a laptop, five ATM cards, two bank passbooks, a SIM card, a passport, a Union Bank cheque book, and two mobile phones.
Authorities stated that these electronic devices have been forwarded for forensic analysis to gather digital evidence and explore the larger network behind the fraud operations.
Investigators also uncovered that one of the accomplices destroyed certain banking records prior to the police intervention in an attempt to erase evidence.
However, some financial documents were successfully recovered and are actively being scrutinized.
Law enforcement has requested transaction records from banks to backtrack international money transfers associated with the case.
During questioning, Umar indicated that part of the funds in his account had been transferred by his associate Yusuf and subsequently withdrawn.
The investigation has revealed names of additional suspects, and legal actions are underway to obtain arrest warrants against them. Authorities may seek international assistance if necessary.
In a recent update, Umar was released on bail. His passport has been confiscated, and he is currently restricted to the university hostel.
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