MBBS Student Held Over Alleged Transfer of Rs. 8 Lakh in Crypto to Chinese Nationals After Cyber Fraud

Police have arrested a 23-year-old MBBS student in Madhya Pradesh's Indore for sending around Rs. 8 lakh of cyber fraud money to a gang of Chinese youths by converting it into cryptocurrency, an official said on Wednesday.

Talking to reporters, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rajesh Kumar Tripathi said the accused, identified as Vikram Vishnoi (23), was arrested based on the clues found in the case of cheating a city-based software engineer of Rs 1.35 lakh by placing him under "digital arrest".

Vishnoi, who hails from Jodhpur in Rajasthan, is a third-year MBBS student of the Government Medical College in Maharashtra's Alibag, he said.

Through Vishnoi's interrogation, it came to light that he used to provide bank accounts to a gang on a commission basis for cyber fraud and was connected to five Chinese youths through a group on Telegram messaging app, he said.

"We came to know that Vishnoi used to convert the cyber fraud money deposited in Indian bank accounts into cryptocurrency and send it to the Chinese gang. We are investigating thoroughly the role of the Chinese gang in carrying out cyber crimes in India," Tripathi said.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotia said Vishnoi used to convert the cyber fraud money into cryptocurrency through an account of cryptocurrency exchange "Binance" and then send it to the crypto wallet of a Chinese youth with the secret name of "TLX" through QR code.
He said that Vishnoi has so far converted about Rs. 8 lakh into cryptocurrency and sent it to the Chinese crypto wallet of "TLX".

Dandotia said the accused used to talk to the Chinese youth through a chatbot with mutual translation facility in English and Chinese languages.

In order to investigate the transfer of cyber fraud money to the Chinese gang, the Indore police have sent an email to Telegram and Binance to seek information.