Gurpreet Singh :- In a major crackdown on suspected cyber fraud operations, the Cyber Crime Police raided an office operating under the name “Alpha Event Company” in Sector 2, Panchkula, late on Sunday night and detained 21 persons from the premises.
Among those taken into custody were four alleged key operators — Navdeep, Akshay Tikku, Raza and Ankur Kapoor — while the remaining 17 individuals, including four women, were found working at the facility. Police said all those detained are being questioned as part of the ongoing investigation.
During the raid, officials seized 19 desktop computers, three laptops, Rs 11.30 lakh in cash, three walkie-talkies, 16 headsets, two Wi-Fi routers, a currency-counting machine, three POS machines and gold jewellery. The accused are expected to be produced before a court for further legal proceedings, following which the police may seek their remand for detailed interrogation.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the operation was allegedly involved in targeting US-based citizens through fraudulent telemarketing activities. The call centre reportedly functioned according to American time zones, with employees working night shifts from around 7 pm to 3 am.
Investigators revealed that callers allegedly posed as customer care executives of a leading e-commerce company and contacted individuals in the United States. Victims were reportedly engaged in lengthy conversations and persuaded to share sensitive financial information, including credit card details, which was then allegedly used for unauthorised transactions.
Police sources further indicated that the operators had recruited young men and women with strong English-speaking skills for the operation. Employees were reportedly paid between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000 per month and were provided structured training before being assigned calls.
The investigation has also uncovered links between some of the accused and social awareness activities. One of the arrested individuals, Ankur Kapoor, was reportedly associated with road safety awareness programmes and frequently organised public events attended by senior officials. Police are examining whether such activities were used to shield the alleged illegal operation from scrutiny.
Senior police officers, including Panchkula Police Commissioner Pankaj Nain, supervised the operation. All detained individuals were shifted to the Cyber Crime Police Station for questioning. The investigation is continuing to ascertain the full extent of the network and identify any additional persons involved.
