PANAJI: The Goa police’s cyber crime cell (CCC) on Sunday busted an alleged fake employment racket for sailors, and arrested one person while escaping from Mumbai airport.
Crime branch SP Shobhit Saxena told TOI that a case was registered at the CCC on the complaint of a shipping company, Ouvert Marine, where it was claimed that some unknown persons had made a fake website of the company mimicking the original one.
He also said that the fake company used to then issue placement letters to aspiring sailors and ask them to pay fees for processing placements upto Rs 5 lakh per victim. Several complaints were received in this regard by DG Shipping.
Saxena said that upon receiving the complaint, CCC took down the fake website and froze all accounts. A further investigation led the cell to the prime accused, who was identified as Sumit Upadhyay of Guwahati.
“In order to hide his real identity, the accused used several fake identities and SIM cards, and travelled across UP, Delhi, Mumbai and Guwahati,” the SP said.
However, a cyber crime cell located him, and a team was immediately sent to Guwahati to apprehend him with the help of Guwahati crime branch, led by DCP Barun Purkayastha.
The accused then attempted to abscond to Mumbai, where a joint team of ATS Mumbai, under DIG Shivdeep Lande and led by PI Daya Naik, CISF Sahar Airport, and the Goa CCC, led by PSI Sarvesh Sawant, apprehended Sumit Upadhyay on the aircraft.
Further investigation and recovery is on.
The crime branch SP also said that the fake company used to then issue placement letters to aspiring sailors and ask them to pay fees for processing placements upto Rs 5 lakh per victim. Several complaints were received in this regard by DG Shipping