Malappuram: Police arrested five more people in connection with the abduction and assault of three men in Kolathur, uncovering a suspected cyber fraud network that posed as a dollar trading business.

The special investigation team, led by Malappuram District Police Chief R Vishwanath IPS, Perinthalmanna DySP A Premjith, and Kolathur CI Sajith, nabbed the accused, Adnan (27) of Vengad, Mohammed Faisal (26) of Kolathur, Mohammed Abdul Hakeem (36) and Mohammed Jafar (33) of Amayur, and Mohammed Hanif (34) of Koppam, from hideouts in Koppam and Shoranur on Saturday.

The incident occurred on May 5 when three Vengad residents, Hussain, Siraj, and Ashraf, returning home by car around 11 pm, were intercepted by a gang at Kunnathangadi. The victims were abducted, taken to multiple locations including Amayur and Kuppath, and brutally assaulted. Later, they were taken to a lodge in Pattambi and beaten again. A case was registered at Kolathur police station, following which six others were arrested earlier.

During the probe, police unearthed a cyber fraud operation allegedly involving some of the accused. According to investigators, the syndicate collected bank account details of people in India and abroad by posing as dollar traders and online gaming agents.

These accounts were used to route proceeds from cybercrimes, which were then withdrawn and transferred abroad or handed over to agents in cash. In several instances, account holders were denied promised commissions and left to face legal consequences, often unaware of the scale of the racket.

Key accused Mohammed Abdul Hakeem had previously been jailed in a similar case in Thrissur and was out on bail. Further interrogation is underway with assistance from the cyber cell, Kolathur SI Shankaranarayanan, and officers Jayan, Bernard Davis, Shareef, and the DANSAF team.