Two arrested for duping Hyderabad citizens of over ₹1 crore in separate cyber frauds
In the first case, police arrested Paras Singla, a 29-year-old resident of North West Delhi, for his involvement in an import-export scam. The accused, along with absconding associates Mahesh Singla and Lakshya Verma, posed as representatives of a bogus company named 'Aces Trading', presented as a Hong Kong-based enterprise. They induced the victim into transferring over ₹1.11 crore by falsely promising to facilitate a spirulina powder trade deal through Trade Fundamental Private Limited, based in New Delhi.
Investigators revealed that the fraudsters demanded multiple payments under the guise of processing charges, legal fees, and refund guarantees, while assuring the victim of a full refund post-deal finalisation. Once the money was transferred, all communication ceased.
In a separate operation, Chikkala Santosh Kumar, a 31-year-old resident of Warasiguda, Hyderabad, was arrested for duping an individual of ₹7.27 lakh in a stock trading fraud. The victim was lured by a woman identifying herself as Neha, who befriended him over WhatsApp and coaxed him into investing on a fake trading platform, catalystmarketsfx.com. Initially shown false profits, the victim was repeatedly asked to pay additional sums as tax and exchange fees. When demands escalated, the victim realised he had been cheated.
Further investigations revealed that Santosh Kumar was not merely facilitating financial fraud, but was actively involved in procuring bank accounts and online credentials for fraudsters operating from Cambodia. He supplied accounts and trafficked individuals from his native village, promising job opportunities abroad but instead delivering them into exploitative conditions where they were forced to commit cybercrimes, a form of digital bonded labour. Kumar previously operated a consultancy and had international connections, including with a Chinese national named Toto who supervised call centre operations in Cambodia.
Four other individuals were arrested earlier in the same case, all of whom played supporting roles as account holders or suppliers. These include a B.Tech student, an auto driver, a delivery boy and a private employee. The arrested accused, Santosh Kumar, is wanted in six cases across multiple states including Telangana, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Odisha and Tamil Nadu.
Police seized significant material evidence from the accused in both cases, including 30 mobile phones, multiple SIM and debit cards, passbooks, cheque books, laptops, tabs, and even a fake press ID card. They also recovered shell company stamps used in fraudulent operations. Further investigation is underway.
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