Yogesh K Porwar
The Sanjaynagar police have arrested 12 people for allegedly robbing an entrepreneur of Rs.17.64 lakh after luring him with a promise of converting the cash into USDT cryptocurrency.
Police have recovered Rs.13.90 lakh in cash, six two-wheelers, a car and 13 mobile phones from the accused.
Senior officer told reporters that the complainant,an entrepreneur from Devinagar in Kodigehalli,was planning to open a cafe on Sira Highway and was looking to import kitchen equipment and accessories from Japan or China at lower prices.
He was reportedly advised that payments could be made through cryptocurrency and subsequently joined a WhatsApp group named “Crypto India F2F.”
Through the group,the entrepreneur came into contact with a man who successfully exchanged Rs.2.5 lakh into USDT on June 8,gaining his confidence.The following day,the victim sought to convert a larger amount Rs.17.64 lakh into cryptocurrency.
The accused allegedly asked him to bring the cash to a location on Kalpana Chawla Road in Sanjaynagar.The entrepreneur arrived with the money along with his brother and a friend.
However,instead of carrying out the cryptocurrency transaction,the gang allegedly assaulted the trio and fled with the cash.
Based on the complaint,the Sanjaynagar police registered a robbery case and launched an investigation. Acting on intelligence inputs and technical evidence, police first detained four suspects on June 11 and subsequently identified other members of the gang.
During a series of operations conducted between June 11 and June 22,police arrested a total of 12 accused from different locations.
The investigation led to the recovery of ₹13.90 lakh of the robbed cash,13 mobile phones,six two-wheelers and a car allegedly used in the crime.
Police said one accused is still absconding and efforts are underway to trace and apprehend him.The investigation is continuing.
The operation was carried out under the supervision of senior officers of the North Division,with the Sanjaynagar police team leading the probe.
