Bhubaneswar: In a major breakthrough, the Cyber Crime and Economic Offences Police Station of Angul Police arrested five persons on Wednesday for allegedly duping a businessman of Rs 52 lakh through an online trading scam.
The accused have been identified as Bijay Kumar Jena, Dillip Kumar Lenka, and Chittaranjan Muduli — all residents of Soro in Balasore district — Krupasindhu Maharana of Bhadrak and Md Nisar Alam from West Bengal.
According to police, the case was registered after a businessman from Angul lodged a complaint stating that he had received a message via WhatsApp, promising high returns on investments through a trading platform. Trusting the claims, he transferred Rs 52 lakh, only to later realise he had been defrauded.
Following the complaint, Angul police formed a special investigation team to probe the matter. The investigation revealed that the fraudsters had transferred the money through multiple bank accounts to evade detection.
Acting on the findings, police conducted raids across various locations in Odisha and outside the state, resulting in the arrest of the five accused.
During the raids, police seized five smartphones, Rs 2.28 lakh in cash, numerous bank passbooks and chequebooks, a gold-colored Rolex watch, and a gold ring.
“A dedicated team traced the money trail across multiple accounts. Our efforts to dismantle the entire network behind this fraud will continue. The investigation is ongoing,” said Angul Superintendent of Police Rahul Jain while speaking to the media.
SP Jain also issued a warning to the public, advising them not to fall for fraudulent investment schemes or join suspicious online platforms without verification.
“We urge citizens to be extremely cautious while downloading applications or joining unknown social media groups. Always verify platforms and avoid engaging with individuals promising unrealistic returns,” he added.
