Mumbai Police launched an investigation into a suspected cyber fraud case in which a nationalised bank’s senior official allegedly lost Rs 4.27 lakh through unauthorised credit card transactions.

Investigators suspect that the fraud may have started after the victim’s personal secretary connected his mobile phone to the free public Wi-Fi network at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai.

According to police, cybercriminals may have gained access to the personal secretary’s mobile phone and later used the compromised device to spread a malicious Android application package (APK) file disguised as a Regional Transport Office (RTO) traffic challan. The fake application was reportedly sent to several people in the phone’s contact list, including senior bank officials.

The MRA Marg police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) and are investigating whether the mobile device was infected through the public Wi-Fi network, a fake hotspot imitating the genuine network, or through another method used by cybercriminals.

Police said the complainant, 56-year-old Gobinda Biswas, a resident of Bhakti Park in Wadala and general manager at a nationalised bank office in Fort, received a message on July 18 from his personal secretary Narayan Swami. The message appeared to be an official RTO challan and contained an APK file.

Before sending the message, Swami had connected his mobile phone to the free Wi-Fi service available at CSMT, police said. After the device was allegedly compromised, the malicious file was automatically forwarded through messaging applications to more than 200 contacts saved on the phone.

Believing the message to be a genuine traffic challan, Biswas downloaded and installed the application. Police suspect that the malware then gained access to sensitive information stored on his device, including data that could have been misused for financial fraud.

Investigators believe the infected application continued spreading the malicious file to additional contacts. On July 21, Biswas noticed unusual activity on his phone and deleted the application. However, police suspect that the malware had already accessed important information before removal.

Police said Biswas did not receive any SMS alerts regarding the suspicious credit card transactions. The fraud came to light on August 3 when he received his credit card statement. The complaint stated that five unauthorised transactions amounting to Rs 4,27,264 were carried out within just 28 minutes on July 21.

The bank’s credit card department later attempted to contact the customer several times. After the transactions were found suspicious and communication could not be established, the credit card was blocked, police said.

Biswas subsequently filed a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and approached MRA Marg police. An FIR was registered on August 4 in connection with the suspected cybercrime.

A Mumbai Police official said that the investigation is underway to identify the source of the malware and determine the exact method used by the accused to gain access to the mobile device.

Citizens should remain cautious while connecting to public Wi-Fi networks and should avoid installing applications received from unknown sources, Mumbai Police cautioned.

Cyber experts have repeatedly warned that attackers can use fake applications, phishing messages and unsafe public networks to steal personal and financial information. Police have advised citizens to verify links and applications before downloading them and to avoid sharing sensitive banking details through suspicious platforms.

New Delhi, Aug 7: The India-US Counter Narcotics Working Group (CNWG) Pillar I Working Group Meeting was hosted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in a hybrid format, aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in combating narcotics trafficking and the diversion of precursor chemicals.

The NCB shared details of the meeting on the social media platform X, stating, “The India-US Counter Narcotics Working Group (CNWG) – Pillar I Working Group Meeting was hosted by the Narcotics Control Bureau on 6 August 2026 in hybrid mode.”

The meeting brought together representatives from several Indian and US agencies. Participants from the Indian side included the NCB, Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Department of Revenue, and Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals.

The US delegation included officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), LEGAT, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and the US Department of State.

According to the NCB, the discussions focused on strengthening operational cooperation, preventing the diversion of precursor chemicals, enhancing policy coordination, and advancing capacity building.

India highlighted its robust precursor control framework and ongoing initiatives to further strengthen regulatory and enforcement mechanisms to prevent the diversion of precursor chemicals.

The meeting follows earlier discussions held in March during the 69th Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, Austria. During those talks, NCB Director General Anurag Garg and Sara Carter, Director of the US Office of National Drug Control Policy, discussed sharing actionable intelligence to bolster counter-narcotics cooperation. Both sides also explored mechanisms for real-time information sharing to facilitate parallel investigations against transnational drug cartels operating across jurisdictions.

Meanwhile, the Central government informed the Lok Sabha this week that the NCB has strengthened international cooperation in drug control through bilateral agreements with 27 countries and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with 19 countries.

Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, in reply to a query, had said that India holds regular Director General (DG) Level/bilateral talks on drug-related matters with countries such as Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Singapore and the US.

Responding to questions by Naresh Ganpat Mhaske and Shrikant Shinde, Rai added that to address the challenge of illicit drug trafficking and abuse of drugs, Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-2029) was released on June 26, which lays down a three-year roadmap with clear priorities and time bound targets to be achieved by various stakeholders to control drugs with ‘Whole-of-Government’ and ‘Whole-of-Society’ approach.

The MoS said the NCB has also established a four-tier Narco-Coordination Center (NCORD) mechanism for ensuring better coordination between Central and state drug law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders in the field of controlling drug trafficking and drug abuse in India.

The Cyber Police Station of Delhi’s South-West District has busted an inter-state cyber fraud syndicate involved in impersonation-based online scams and arrested four accused, including a Nigerian national. The gang cheated a complainant of Rs 1.46 lakh by falsely claiming that a parcel containing US dollars and gold had been sent to India in his name.

Police said the operation involved coordinated investigations across Delhi, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. A total of seven mobile phones allegedly used in the commission of the offence have been recovered.

According to police, a complaint was received on March 31, at PS Cyber, South-West District, alleging that the complainant had been cheated by unidentified persons through an online impersonation scam. The fraudsters reportedly contacted the victim through WhatsApp messages and phone calls while posing as residents of the United States.

Investigators said the accused gradually gained the complainant’s trust by establishing a personal relationship and then falsely informed him that a parcel containing US dollars and gold had been dispatched to India in his name.

The victim was subsequently asked to pay money on various pretexts, including obtaining a Money Declaration Certificate, booking flight tickets, customs clearance charges and securing the release of the purportedly seized parcel.

Believing the claims to be genuine, the complainant transferred Rs 1.46 lakh through multiple UPI IDs and bank accounts. Following the complaint, an e-FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and an investigation was launched.

Given the seriousness of the case, a special team comprising SI Vishal Yadav, HC Pramod Kumar, HC Vikram, HC Amit Kumar and W/HC Reena Kumari was constituted under the supervision of Inspector Pravesh Kaushik, SHO, PS Cyber, and ACP Operations Sanghamitra.

During the investigation, the team conducted extensive technical analysis, examined digital evidence, tracked financial transactions and carried out surveillance. The investigation trail led police from Delhi to Telangana and eventually to Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

Based on technical inputs, the first accused, Deepak Kumar (22), was arrested from Maidan Garhi in South Delhi. One mobile phone allegedly used in the fraud was recovered from his possession.

Further investigation led the team to Jayashankar Bhupalpally district in Telangana, where Konda Sagar (33) was arrested. Subsequently, Azmeera Vinod Kumar (30) was apprehended from Dubbapeta in Telangana, and two mobile phones were recovered from him.

Continuing the probe, investigators uncovered the involvement of Simeon Miracle Chinonso (22), a Nigerian national residing in Visakhapatnam. Acting on technical Intelligence, the police conducted a raid in Andhra Pradesh and arrested the accused. Four mobile phones allegedly used in the cyber fraud operation were recovered from her possession.

Police said the investigation revealed that the accused were part of an organised cyber fraud network. Deepak Kumar, Konda Sagar and Azmeera Vinod Kumar allegedly arranged and supplied mule bank accounts to cybercriminals in exchange for commissions.

Meanwhile, Chinonso allegedly impersonated immigration officials, customs officers and representatives of various organisations through WhatsApp chats and phone calls. Victims were induced to transfer money on the false promise of receiving foreign parcels and clearing customs and documentation formalities.

Investigators found that the defrauded money was routed through multiple bank accounts to conceal its origin and facilitate further transfers.

Police have recovered seven mobile phones from the accused. Further investigation is underway to identify other members of the syndicate and trace additional victims who may have been targeted through similar frauds.