Patiala Police have dismantled a city-based network with international cybercrime links, uncovering how local operatives were enabling large-scale fraud in collaboration with criminals based in the Philippines. The breakthrough came after weeks of surveillance by the district cybercrime team, culminating in four arrests.
Patiala Police busts Cyber Crime Gang
PS Cyber Crime Patiala has arrested 4 gang members who were supplying bank accounts & SIM cards to Philippines-based cyber fraudsters. #CyberSurkhiya #ActionAgainstCrime pic.twitter.com/yD9GAXWfmw
— Patiala Police (@PatialaPolice) September 2, 2025
The operation was carried out by the Cyber Crime Police Station under SHO Tarandeep Kaur. The gang, led by Patiala residents Pankaj, Arshdeep, and Manga Singh, allegedly tricked youngsters into opening new bank accounts under the pretext of creating salary accounts for fictitious jobs. These accounts were later sold to cybercriminals abroad.
Once created, these accounts were handed over to foreign fraudsters for a fee and used to channel huge sums of illicit money. In just a few months, more than 30 such accounts were traded, routing crores of rupees.
The group ran an unauthorised de-addiction centre on Chaura Road. Here, vulnerable drug-dependent individuals were exploited. For as little as ₹500, they were convinced to buy SIM cards in their names. Ingeniously concealed in folds of stitched T-shirts, these SIMs were couriered to the Philippines, where they became critical tools in digital scams.
The prime accused include three Patiala residents, Pankaj, Arshdeep, and Manga Singh, who orchestrated the operations, and a shop owner, Birbal, who acted as a facilitator. Their arrests mark only the beginning of a wider probe, officials said, as investigators are now examining financial records and communication trails to map the entire chain.
Another accused, Birbal, who owned a shop linked to the racket, has also been arrested. Police have registered an FIR under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) along with Section 66C of the IT Act at the Cyber Crime Police Station, Patiala.
