Patna cyber police have arrested 10 people in an alleged inter-state cyber fraud network that brought individuals from other states to the city, changed their Aadhaar addresses fraudulently and used their identities to open bank accounts for cybercrime-related transactions. Police said the arrests were made after a technical analysis identified suspected cybercriminals and their network.
According to the police, the gang allegedly lured people from different states to Patna before modifying the addresses on their Aadhaar cards. The altered identity documents were then allegedly used to open accounts with different banks. These accounts, along with ATM and debit cards, cheque books and other banking instruments, were allegedly used to route cybercrime-related transactions and withdraw money.
The operation resulted in the recovery of 38 mobile phones, 82 cheque books, 76 passbooks, 64 ATM cards, nine SIM cards, nine PAN cards, 17 Aadhaar cards, a driving licence, a voter identity card, a pen drive and a scooter, police said. The recovery indicates that investigators are examining the alleged network through several linked systems, including mobile communications, identity documents and banking records.
The arrests followed technical analysis by the Cyber Crime and Security Unit, Bihar, which identified suspected cybercriminals and their connections, according to the police. The seized phones, SIM cards, digital storage device, banking instruments and identity documents are now being subjected to technical and financial analysis.
The case highlights how identity documents and bank-account access can become operational tools in cybercrime investigations. In the alleged arrangement described by police, the misuse did not depend only on digital devices; it also involved changes to official identity records and the creation or control of accounts across different banks. Investigators will have to establish how the documents were altered, who supplied the identities and how the accounts were used in specific transactions.
Police are also examining the seized material to identify others who may have been involved. The analysis is expected to cover digital evidence, financial transactions and identity-related records, officials said. This could help investigators determine the wider reach of the alleged network and establish the roles of those arrested and other suspected participants.
An FIR has been registered at Patna Cyber Police Station under relevant sections, and further investigation is underway. Police have not disclosed the total value of the alleged transactions or identified the specific cybercrime cases linked to the bank accounts. Those details will depend on the technical and financial examination of the recovered material.
