Guwahati: Crime Branch raids suspected call centre, probes cybercriminals

GUWAHATI: Instances of cybercrime are continuing unabated in the city as the Crime Branch of the Guwahati Police conducted a raid at another suspected call centre in the city on Saturday.

Continuing their investigation into the fake call centre case, the crime branch conducted a raid at a house in the Beltola area of the city. The raid was conducted in House No. 21 of Satyapur Path, in the premises taken on rent by one Akibul Nawaz in the name of Infinity Holidays, according to sources.

The owner of the house informed the police team that the house had been taken on rent in October last year. He got suspicious owing to the activities carried out at the house and informed the police.

According to available information, 25 to 30 employees had been working at the firm, believed to be a call centre, until Thursday. They have since disappeared, along with Nawaz. However, it is still to be ascertained whether it is a fake call centre used to commit cybercrime, like the ones used to fleece people in the country and abroad of their money on the pretext of providing tech support, and whether there is a connection to them.

Eight fake call centres were busted by the police in the city during the intervening nights of September 14 and 15. The police are continuing their investigation in the case, and raids were conducted at an apartment building and a five-star hotel earlier in the week.

Meanwhile, in a development in the other cybercrime case relating to the threats received by a group of girl students at Beltola Mahavidyalaya Senior Secondary School, the crime branch has started its investigation.

In that instance, cybercriminals had threatened a group of girl students that their doctored photos would be released on the internet. The criminals had gained access to the WhatsApp group of the school’s students, taken their photographs, and allegedly doctored them to show them in an inappropriate manner. The criminals had threatened to release the pictures on the internet. This prompted the girls to complain to the school authorities. However, they were not satisfied with the action taken by the authorities and approached the Basistha police with a complaint regarding the matter. The Basistha police conducted a probe into the complaint and then enlisted the help of the Crime Branch.

However, the matter has now escalated after the girls received threatening voice messages from the perpetrators. The criminals have reportedly threatened to kidnap the girls for filing a complaint with the police. The Crime Branch has traced one of the phone numbers to Bengaluru, where one or more of the perpetrators of the cybercrime are reportedly holed up, according to sources.

A police team is now planning to travel to Bengaluru to apprehend the culprits, the sources revealed. It is also suspected that the group may be involved in other cybercrimes.

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