Kolkata Police have arrested Faisal Ali, one of the main accused in an alleged ₹1.11 crore cyber-fraud case involving withdrawals from a private bank ATM, after tracing his activity on Facebook to an apartment in the Bishnupur area. A city cybercrime unit arrested Ali and produced him before Bankshall court, which ordered his police custody until October 26.
Police said the alleged fraud came to light in June after ₹1.11 crore was withdrawn from an ATM of a private bank on R.N. Mukherjee Road, near Lalbazar. Investigators found that more than 70 bank accounts had allegedly been used to move or handle money linked to the cyber fraud.
According to the police investigation, the funds deposited into the accounts were connected with cybercrime. The authorities are now examining how the accounts were operated, how the money moved through the network and who ultimately received the proceeds.
The inquiry reportedly gained momentum after Ballygunge police arrested an accused identified as Shoaib Junior on the basis of confidential information. He was later questioned by the cybercrime police. During the interrogation, investigators received information about Ali, who is alleged to have supplied ATM cards to people involved in the fraud.
Police are investigating how the cards were arranged and whether Ali had a wider role in facilitating withdrawals. The inquiry is also examining the relationship between the arrested accused and other suspected members of the network.
Investigators said Ali had switched off his mobile phone after Shoaib Junior was arrested. However, police reportedly obtained a lead after Ali used Facebook a few days ago. The activity helped investigators identify his location, following which a team raided an apartment in Bishnupur and arrested him.
Ali’s brother, Sheikh Hamza, has also been arrested in connection with the case. Police are assessing the roles of both brothers and their possible links with other suspects. The arrests are part of an effort to reconstruct the complete chain behind the alleged withdrawals rather than treat the ATM transactions as isolated incidents.
The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal also assisted the investigation by providing indications of locations associated with withdrawals of suspected cyber-fraud money. Police followed those leads to the ATM on R.N. Mukherjee Road.
The ATM’s CCTV footage has not provided investigators with clear facial images of the suspected offenders. Police said the individuals entered the ATM wearing burqas or helmets, making identification more difficult. The reported use of multiple bank accounts, ATM cards and concealed identities has widened the investigation beyond the original withdrawal location.
During his police custody, Ali is expected to be questioned about the movement of the alleged fraud proceeds, the supply of ATM cards and the identities of other people connected with the network. Police said the interrogation could help establish further links in the case. The investigation remains ongoing.
