The Delhi Police have busted an interstate investment fraud syndicate and arrested eight people following an intensive investigation that also revealed links with handlers operating from Cambodia, officials said on Sunday.
On November 7, 2025, a 42-year-old woman from Vasant Kunj lodged a complaint stating that she had been cheated out of Rs 15.58 lakh. According to the complaint, she was contacted on WhatsApp by unknown persons claiming to provide expert guidance in stock trading and assuring guaranteed returns. Trusting these claims, she transferred the money in multiple transactions, only to later realise that she had been duped.
A dedicated police team carried out detailed technical surveillance, money trail analysis, and digital forensics, which led to the identification of a network supplying mule bank accounts for routing cheated money.
“The investigation revealed that the accused were operating across several states, including Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi. Raids conducted at multiple locations resulted in the arrest of Vanapatla Sunil Kumar and Sakinala Shankar from Telangana, Manoj Yadav and Sandeep Singh from Uttar Pradesh, Aditya Pratap Singh from Rajasthan, and Rahul, Sheru and Sompal from Delhi and Bareilly. During the operation, 10 high-end mobile phones and 13 SIM cards used for operating mule accounts and transferring fraud proceeds were recovered,” said Amit Goel, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South-West.
The police found that the syndicate used fake investment platforms and international WhatsApp numbers to lure victims. The cheated money was first deposited into mule accounts opened in India and then layered through multiple bank accounts to obscure the trail before being transferred to foreign handlers, primarily based in Cambodia. In one mule account alone, transactions amounting to nearly Rs 4 crore were recorded within a span of just 14 days. As many as 63 complaints registered on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal were found linked to the syndicate.
Officials said further investigation was underway to identify additional victims, trace the overseas handlers, and dismantle the remaining links of the fraud network. The police also urged the public to remain cautious of unsolicited investment offers promising guaranteed returns.
The dedicated team was led by Inspector Pravesh Kaushik, Station House Officer of the Cyber Police Station, South West district, and constituted under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations) Vijay Pal Singh Tomar.
