Mumbai Crime: Welcome kits to new account holders help bank unearth fraud

Police suspect a gang is behind the crime. Representation pic

It took three months for a nationalised bank to find out that 150 welcome kits, meant for new account holders, were delivered to the same address at Nalasopara East. The bank lodged a complaint with the police, following which a team of officers from unit 3 of Mira Bhayandar crime branch raided the flat on Friday and arrested a 36-year-old man and seized 93 welcome kits. The accused has been identified as Niranjankumar Singh, a resident of Nagindas Pada Nalasopara East.

According to police sources, the assistant administrator of the bank submitted a written complaint to the crime branch last week. The bank stated that in view of the lockdown, they made the process of opening new accounts and verification available online. The legal team of the bank noticed that 150 welcome kits for new accounts, which had different addresses, were delivered to the same address.

Following this, bank personnel inquired with the account holders and learnt that they had not opened the accounts. They further alleged that they were not aware of their documents being used to open bank accounts. The bank then got in touch with the courier company, which told them the parcels were delivered to the same person. Bank officials then lodged a complaint with the crime branch on October 7.

During interrogation, the accused told the police that he was doing it at the behest of a person named Rahul and he had sent around 80 kits to Jaipur. A police team has been sent to Jaipur to nab the accused. The police suspect a gang, which commits online fraud, is behind the crime. The gang is suspected to ask people to open bank accounts and deposit the proceeds of crime.

"We have registered a case at Tulinj police station under sections 419, 420 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act. We are investigating further," said a police officer.

80
No. of kits the accused allegedly sent to Jaipur