Pune, 2nd March 2026: The Cyber Police in Pune have uncovered an international network involved in defrauding senior citizens through a so-called 'digital arrest' scam. Two members of the gang have been arrested for cheating an 82-year-old man of nearly ₹11 crore, while two others remain absconding.
The arrested accused have been identified as Harshad Subhash Dhantole (23) and Samarth Suresh Deshmukh (24), both residents of Karvenagar. Police are searching for Rohit Rameshwar Jadhav from Pimple Gurav and Amar Attargi from Solapur.
Three of the accused are originally from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Investigations revealed that the group is linked to at least 11 cybercrime complaints registered across the country.
According to police officials, the accused contacted the elderly victim on his mobile phone and falsely introduced themselves as officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). They claimed that his bank account had been used in illegal money transactions and warned that he would be placed under 'digital arrest.'
The fraudsters told the victim that to avoid legal action, he needed to transfer funds for verification. Believing the threat, the senior citizen transferred ₹10.74 crore to bank accounts provided by the accused.
When he realized he had been cheated, he filed a complaint at the Cyber Police Station in Shivajinagar.
During the investigation, cyber police tracked the bank accounts used in the fraud. CCTV footage from an ATM in Karvenagar confirmed that the accused had withdrawn money from the accounts. Based on technical evidence and surveillance inputs, police arrested Dhantole and Deshmukh.
Police have seized ₹4.78 lakh in cash from the accused and frozen ₹40 lakh in their bank accounts. Further investigation is underway to trace the remaining suspects and uncover the wider international links of the network.
Officials have urged citizens, especially senior citizens, to remain alert against such calls and verify any claims made by individuals posing as law enforcement officers.