Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 17: Delhi Police have arrested three men, including a post-graduate from the London School of Economics (LSE), in connection with a cyber extortion racket that involved threatening a businessman with death threats to his children.

The accused were identified as Sumit (42), Prince (35), and Nitish (31), all residents of Delhi. While Nitish holds a master’s degree from LSE, Sumit is a BCom graduate and Prince studied till Class IX.

According to police, the businessman lodged a complaint at the DBG Road police station alleging that he received an international WhatsApp call from Thailand. The caller, posing as a notorious gangster, demanded money through cryptocurrency and threatened to shoot his children if he refused. A QR code for crypto transfer was also sent to him.

Based on the complaint, police registered an extortion case and began a joint probe with the cyber team. Using advanced cyber tools, investigators traced the WhatsApp call and crypto trail back to Thailand. Another team monitored the accused’s movements in Delhi, and as soon as they returned from Thailand, they were arrested.

Interrogation revealed that the three were under heavy debt and devised the extortion plan as a quick way to repay loans. Sumit, who personally knew the businessman, suggested the target and used a gangster’s name to intimidate him. To cover their tracks, the trio purchased international SIM cards in Thailand and used them for the calls. Police have recovered the mobile phones used to generate the QR code and place the extortion calls.

“This case shows that debt and greed can push a person onto the wrong path. No matter how clever criminals think they are, Delhi Police’s cyber team has the technology to track them down,” said Nidhan Valson, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central District).