Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, December 27: Cyber crime sleuths of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Friday arrested the hackers, who withdrew Rs 49 multiple times from over 2020 accounts of State Bank of Mysore (SBM) in April 2016.

The gang from Jharkhand was led by a 19-year-old high school dropout Suraj Mohali, a native of Mirga village, Jamtara district. Along with him Kimmi Kumar Manda (20) and two other associates have been arrested.

Suraj’s modus operandi was simple. He withdrew Rs 49 multiple times from 2020 SBM accounts. Through 1.56 lac transactions he managed to withdraw around Rs 79 lac in two days. The gang diverted the stolen money to various bank accounts opened, using fake documents.

When SBM started receiving complaints from customers, they alerted the cyber crime police. The cops kept a close watch on the accounts the money was diverted to and managed to apprehend the gang when the stolen money was used to recharge mobile phones and purchase household appliances.

The cyber crime team went to Jharkhand and arrested four of the suspects. Two of them were brought to Bengaluru on December 23 and were remanded in judicial custody following interrogation. Two of their accomplices are in the custody of the Jharkhand police, and three others are lodged in a prison in Jharkhand.

Suraj has confessed to be part of a bigger gang which operates with the same modus operandi. The kingpin of the gang who is yet to be identified, trains high school dropouts on withdrawing money from banks. He then gives them smart phones and bank account details asking them not to withdraw more than Rs 49 at a time.

The cops have recovered hundreds of bank account details from Suraj. A senior official said that they are planning to get a body warrant to bring the associates lodged in Jharkhand jail to Bengaluru for interrogation.