Keonjhar, July 8 (UDN): Odisha Police have uncovered an organised crime network allegedly involved in both highway robberies and cyber fraud in Keonjhar district, arresting six persons, including a woman suspected to be the key link to the infamous Jamtara cybercrime syndicate in neighbouring Jharkhand.
The investigation began after a truck driver lodged a complaint on June 4, alleging that he was waylaid near Raida Chhak in Barbil by a group of armed miscreants. The assailants reportedly robbed him of cash and his mobile phone before fleeing the scene.
Police later discovered that the stolen mobile phone had been used to gain unauthorised access to the victim’s UPI and mobile banking applications. Investigators found that more than ₹1 lakh had been fraudulently transferred from the truck driver’s bank account soon after the robbery.
Following technical surveillance and intelligence gathering, investigators traced the cyber fraud trail to Chandrabati Patra, a resident of the Thakurani area. During a search of her residence, police seized 12 mobile phones, 24 bank passbooks and 26 SIM cards, which are suspected to have been used in cybercrime operations.
According to police, preliminary investigation suggests that stolen mobile phones were supplied to the cyber fraud network, enabling fraudsters to access victims’ digital payment platforms and siphon money from their bank accounts. Officials are also probing the alleged links between the accused and the Jamtara cybercrime network, which has been associated with several online financial fraud cases across the country.
In a separate operation, police apprehended five other members of the gang while they were allegedly planning another dacoity in the Joda area. Sharp weapons and other incriminating materials were recovered during the raid.
Cases have been registered under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act. Police said efforts are underway to determine the gang’s involvement in other robbery and cyber fraud cases in Odisha and neighbouring states.
Officials described the operation as a significant breakthrough in combating the growing nexus between conventional crimes such as dacoity and technology-enabled financial fraud.
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