Ranchi: A special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Ranchi has found five individuals from Jamtara guilty of operating a well-organized cyber crime ring, according to official sources.
Inspiration for the Netflix series “Jamtara,” which debuted in 2020, stems from actual phishing scams and bank frauds perpetrated by criminals from this district, earning it the reputation of being the ‘cyber crime capital’ over the years.
Law enforcement agencies, including the police, intensified their efforts to crack down on these criminals, many of whom were young adults.
Sources informed PTI that those convicted include Ganesh Mandal (51), his son Pradeep Kumar Mandal (30), Santosh Mandal (51), and his sons Pintu Mandal (33) and Ankush Kumar Mandal (27). All five are residents of Mirga village under the jurisdiction of Narayanpur police station.
The court is expected to announce the sentences on July 23, the sources added.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a charge sheet against these individuals in May 2019, following a detailed investigation. The ED’s case was based on a FIR and charge sheet from the Jharkhand Police, which accused the individuals of illicitly withdrawing and transferring money from ATMs and bank accounts by impersonating bank officials.
The ED’s investigation revealed that the accused had, in collusion with others, deceitfully acquired funds in their and their family members’ bank accounts and used the money to construct houses and purchase vehicles. Jamtara, situated about 210 km from Ranchi, recorded 76 cyber crime cases and 187 arrests in 2021. In 2022, over 72 cases were reported, leading to more than 97 arrests in cyber crime-related incidents.