Articles by Mrityunjay Bose

Technology

CBI arrests bank manager in Mumbai for helping to open mule accounts in 'digital arrest' fraud

p>Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested the manager of a private bank in Mumbai for his active role in facilitating opening of mule accounts in a larger digital arrest cybercrime case.Investigation revealed that the arrested bank official, in collusion with cybercriminals, accepted illegal gratification and by abusing his official position had processed the account opening forms and thereby created channels for the movement and layering of cybercrime proceeds. Investigation has also established that these accounts were actively used in multiple cybercrimes, including cases of digital arrest frauds..Banks to use AI based system to detect 'mule' accounts.“A case for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and BNS was registered against him. The accused was produced before the competent court in Mumbai and remanded to CBI s custody for further interrogation,” CBI officials said. Two cybercriminals who paid the illegal gratification to the bank manager have also been named in the FIR as accused for committing offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act relating to the giving of bribes to a public servant. Both individuals had already been arrested by the CBI in connection with the investigations in an ongoing digital arrest cybercrime case. “Material collected during the investigation indicates a wider pattern of organized cybercrime networks exploiting the banking systems by opening mule accounts to layer the proceeds of cyber fraud amounts stolen from innocent citizens. It is pertinent to note that any active or passive role of a Banker including those of private and cooperative banks, in facilitating cybercrime would render them liable for action under PC Act as well as BNS, and CBI is committed to take action against such bankers,” the officials added.

Technology

Delhi blast | Strict laws needed for pre-owned car market: Intelligence officials

p>Mumbai: India's used-car market, which is as big as new car sales in terms of numbers, needs to have a greater vigil and strict norms, Intelligence department officials said in the wake of Delhi’s car blast near the Red Fort.The Hyundai i20 car — HR26 CE 7674 — was traced through a string of ownerships: from Mohammed Salman to Devender, then Aamir and subsequently Tariq, and finally to Dr Umar Mohammed. “In fact, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi emerged as key drivers of the used-car boom, reflecting diverse regional demands. This calls for greater vigil and security measures. In the Delhi case, so far, the information available suggests that it is registered in the name of Salman, the first owner. This is actually a serious issue and an eye-opener,” an official of Maharashtra’s State Intelligence Department (SID) official told DH on Tuesday..Delhi car blast | Tracing the Hyundai i20's route: From Faridabad to Red Fort. Citing the Red Fort case, he pointed out that the car manufactured in 2013, was registered in the name of Salman, a Gurugram resident, in 2014. Thereafter, it changed hands and came to be used in the crime. “A pre-owned car, a pre-owned vehicle, or a second hand car, is a vehicle that has previously had one or more retail owners. Pre-owned cars are sold through a variety of outlets,” the official said, adding that several dealers have mushroomed in big cities across the country.“The dealerships are part of a highly-organised sector. Registration is one of the major issues. Document forgery, difficulties verifying legal and accident history are difficult problems,” the official said and pointed out that in the Delhi blast case, the car which is more than a decade old still continued to be registered in the original owner’s name.The official pointed out that the Centre and the state governments, security establishments and police need to revisit the laws and come out with new sets of regulations vis-a-vis the pre-owned car dealerships and registration. “While cars and SUVs have been used in crime including terrorism, pre-owned cars without proper registration papers give the terrorists a greater level of anonymity,” the official said, pointing out that in a large number of cases, the second-hand cards are purchased directly in cash.