Times News NetworkKanpur: Kanpur police has decided to treat cybercrime not as ordinary fraud, but as organised financial crime to clear the way for attachment of properties acquired through fraud.Earlier, cyber fraud accused were not booked under Gangsters Act hence properties acquired from crime proceeds could not be seized.Commissioner of police (CP) Raghubir Lal stated that the commissionerate police will now zero-in on all such gangs and thoroughly probe their entire syndicate. Sharp Cyber Cell sleuths will be roped in to gather details of the gang’s active members, their bank accounts, shell companies, properties, investments and luxury assets. After the gang chart is prepared, action will be taken to attach their movable and immovable properties by invoking the Gangsters Act.Several such cases have come to light in Kanpur in the recent past, and files are being prepared in cases where land, houses, vehicles and businesses have been built using money earned through fraud. Action through the Gangsters Act will also boost govt revenue.The police will first prepare a list of cases involving transactions worth crores of rupees, inter-state networks or organised crime. The cyber cell, banking unit and surveillance team will collect data on suspicious accounts, crypto wallets, UPI transactions, shell companies and benami investments. A gang chart will be drawn up after determining the role of every member identified during the investigation, following which the process of invoking the Gangsters Act will begin, enabling subsequent attachment of properties.Until now, cyber fraudsters walk out on bail and rebuild their network as their financial strength remained intact. This police action will also weaken them financially, so that such incidents are not encouraged further. The CP said preparations were underway to create gang charts of cyber fraudsters. “Information about the properties of accused arrested in incidents so far was being gathered. With action under Gangsters Act, the illegal properties of the accused will be seized soon,” the CP added.
