Mumbai: Credit Card Fraud Racket Worth Rs 1.26 Crore Busted, Five from Assam Nabbed

In a major breakthrough in a high-profile cyber fraud case, the Mumbai Crime Branch's Unit 3 has arrested five accused from Assam’s Morigaon district. The action comes after a case was registered at Azad Maidan Police Station, linked to a ₹1.26 crore fraud involving fake credit cards issued from HSBC Bank using forged documents.

According to information received from the Mumbai Crime Branch, the case was registered based on a complaint filed by Nayan Chandrakant Bhagdev, Vice President (Financial Crime Investigation) at HSBC Bank. The complaint alleged that between February 23, 2024, and June 20, 2024, a total of 55 individuals fraudulently secured credit cards using forged PAN cards and other fake documents. These credit cards were then used for online purchases and for transferring funds into bogus bank accounts.

During the investigation, police discovered that the accused had gathered personal information of individuals with high CIBIL scores. Using this data, they forged documents including Aadhaar cards, which were then used to apply for and obtain credit cards under false identities.

The Crime Branch was conducting a parallel investigation into the case. Acting on the instructions of DCP (Crime Branch) Datta Nalawade and under the guidance of Unit 3  Inspector Sadanand Yerekar, a team led by Inspector Shamrao Patil meticulously analyzed mobile numbers, bank statements, and credit card transaction histories. Based on the technical evidence collected, the police successfully identified the prime suspects.

On April 17, 2025, the Crime Branch, under the supervision of senior officials, launched a search operation in the sensitive areas of Morigaon, Assam, leading to the arrest of five accused individuals.

The arrested have been identified as Mohebur Abdul Rehman (28), Azharul Sadiqul Islam (27), Ilyas Rafiqhul Islam (25), Abu Bakar Siddique Ramzan Ali (37), and Mohimuddin Ahmed Abdul Malik (26).

Preliminary investigations have also revealed that the accused had secured fraudulent loans worth crores of rupees from Aditya Birla Finance, Axis Bank, and L&T Finance using similar fake documentation. The case is currently under further investigation.