Online betting: Police bust cybercrime syndicate in Odisha Capital

Law enforcing authorities in Bhubaneswar detained four individuals on Thursday, who are linked to a sprawling cybercrime syndicate.

Following an operation spearheaded by Airfield Police, a covert call centre was raided within a luxurious apartment complex. The centre is suspected of orchestrating illicit activities in and outside the State Capital.

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According to official sources, the four suspects hail from states beyond Odisha’s borders, suggesting linkages to a broader national network. During the crackdown, police seized numerous items, including laptops, SIM cards, and passports. These materials are believed to be instrumental in conducting online betting operations.

This police action forms part of the ongoing strategic measures to combat the rising number of cybercrimes within the region.

Worth mentioning, a doctor working in the Dhamnagar community health centre allegedly lost around Rs 75,000 by falling prey to a cyber fraud in Bhadrak district on Tuesday. The victim Srimadhab Sethy lodged an FIR in this connection with Dhamnagar cyber police.

As per the complaint by Sethy, he got a phone call from an unknown number when he was treating patients at the hospital. The caller claimed to have known the doctor and said that one of his relatives was admitted to the health facility.

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The caller had further said that he was not able to send money to the bank account of his relative and hence he sent Rs 75,000 to the doctor’s account. The cybercriminal then requested the doctor to send the money to the number in a Google Pay screenshot that was sent to the doctor’s WhatsApp number.

Subsequently, the doctor sent the amount without checking his bank account. However, to his utter shock and dismay, he found after his duty was over that Rs 75,000 had not been sent to his account by the unidentified caller and he had been victimised.