Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 10
Four persons, including a woman, were arrested in a fraud telemarketing case. The four, identified as Dipjyoti Talukdar, Animesh Goswami, Mantu Patgiri and Pinky Moni Das were arrested from Assam on June 9 in an operation conducted by the Nagaland Police in coordination with the Assam Police.
According to the Dimapur police, the arrests were made based on three complaints registered separately in Dimapur and Kohima in mid-May. The modus operandi was simple – the operators of the scam would call up unsuspecting victims with offers of selling computers and mobile phones at highly subsidised rates in the name of legitimate companies. Online money transactions would then be initiated with the operators assuring the buyers of shipping the product. The buyers would wire the cash to accounts provided only to never receive the item bought.
IPS probationer, Vishal, who led the investigation, at a media briefing today informed that the investigation began following a complaint lodged by a Dimapur-based electronics store in May. It was later discovered that two such cases were pending in Kohima. In the investigation that ensued, the police narrowed in on two phone numbers and two bank accounts that were alleged to have been used by the operators.
The police used call data and bank transaction analyses of the phone numbers and bank accounts to pinpoint the locations of the suspects in Assam. After narrowing down possible locations, the investigation team from West Police Station, in coordination with the Assam Police headed to Guwahati on June 8. A series of raids were then conducted the next day on June 9 in the Hatigaon area of Guwahati and Pathshala in Barpeta district resulting in the arrest of the four, who were brought to Dimapur today.
Stating that 7 other bank accounts were used to run the scam, it is suspected that more people could have been duped with possible victims in upper Assam, Manipur and in Bhutan. According to the bank transactions, the amount could exceed over Rs. 10 lakhs.
Meanwhile, DCP (Zone II), Dr. KPA Ilyas appealed the public to be wary of such bogus marketing gimmicks and requested any person to come forward with information or complaint on such activity.
