Nainital Police Busts International Cyber Syndicate in Haldwani, Six Arrested

Nainital Police have executed a massive crackdown on an international cyber financial network operating out of Haldwani. Spearheaded by SSP Dr. Manjunath TC under the statewide 'Operation Hotspot-2026', the joint action by the Mukhani Police, Special Operations Group (SOG), and the Cyber Cell has resulted in the dismantling of a highly sophisticated syndicate. The gang was deeply involved in processing illicit financial transactions using unauthorized mobile applications, cryptocurrency, and a vast web of mule bank accounts.

The breakthrough came during the intervening night of September 5 and 6, 2026, when law enforcement teams, acting on precise intelligence, raided a residential property in Laxman Vihar Colony under the Mukhani police station limits. The raid caught the perpetrators entirely off guard as they were actively managing their illicit digital financial network. Police successfully apprehended six primary accused and detained two juveniles found at the premises. Preliminary investigations indicate that within just the last four months, this syndicate processed fraudulent transactions exceeding ₹5 crore.

At the center of this elaborate scheme was the 30-year-old kingpin, Rahul Yadav, originally hailing from Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Yadav, who has a prior criminal record for fraud in Indore, was the chief operator of the gang. Alongside him, the police arrested five other active members: Harshit Kumar from Haldwani, Kamal Goswami from Mukteshwar, Sahil Kumar from Bageshwar, Mohd Ayan from Moradabad, and Mohd Shubhan from Sambhal. Two additional suspects managed to evade capture and are currently being hunted by specialized teams.

The gang employed a highly modernized modus operandi to bypass traditional banking security protocols. According to the investigating officers, Rahul Yadav would acquire USDT, a popular cryptocurrency, using illicit cash via the Binance application. The network then utilized an unauthorized trading application known as 'UMASTER', which they distributed to targets through Telegram. By bypassing standard KYC and source verification requirements, the gang traded USDT worth ₹4 to ₹5 lakh daily on this platform, luring unsuspecting investors with promises of a 3 percent extra profit margin and lucrative bonuses.

To mask the trail of the defrauded money, the syndicate relied heavily on a complex network of mule bank accounts. The arrested members systematically targeted gullible local youths, offering them a 3 percent commission to surrender their bank accounts, passbooks, checkbooks, ATM cards, and linked SIM cards. Once the defrauded funds entered these accounts, the criminals immediately engaged in layering—moving the money rapidly across multiple accounts to hide its true origin and final destination. The gang operatives utilized ATM withdrawals for smaller sums and Cash Deposit Machines (CDMs) to transfer bulk cash into secondary accounts.

The raid yielded a significant cache of digital and physical evidence that exposed the depth of the operation. Recoveries made from the Laxman Vihar property included ₹1,18,800 in hard cash, a Dell laptop, an Apple iPad, and 11 high-end smartphones. More crucially, investigators confiscated 24 active ATM and debit cards linked to various banks, 12 active SIM cards, multiple passbooks, checkbooks, and numerous CDM deposit slips.

The Nainital Police have filed an FIR at the Mukhani police station under sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, along with relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The detained minors have been presented before the juvenile welfare authorities for further legal proceedings. To encourage continued vigilance against modern financial crimes, SSP Dr. Manjunath TC announced a cash reward of ₹2,500 for the raiding team and issued a stern public advisory, urging citizens never to rent out their bank accounts or banking credentials for commission, as doing so makes them complicit in cybercrime.