Kochi: The state police Crime Branch have arrested a man from Assam who allegedly masterminded a ₹27-crore online credit card fraud targeting a leading private bank in Kerala.

The accused has been identified as Sirajul Islam (32), a native of Lahorighat in Assam’s Morigaon district, who was arrested by the State Crime Branch’s Economic Offences Wing in Kochi. He was apprehended with the support of Assam Police after an extensive investigation that spanned over a year, the Crime Branch said. 

Sirajul’s younger brother, Sheriful Islam, who also played a role in the fraud, remains absconding. Police found the duo living a lavish life in Assam, owning a poultry farm, a large house, and multiple properties believed to have been purchased using the proceeds of the crime.

According to the Crime Branch, Sirajul was arrested in a case registered in 2023. The accused, who runs a shop assisting people with Aadhaar and PAN card services, exploited his customers' data to orchestrate the scam. He allegedly identified PAN cards with strong CIBIL scores, replaced the cardholder’s photo with his own, and used forged Aadhaar documents to complete digital KYC procedures. 

“Using these, he registered in the bank’s online credit card issuance platform and received virtual credit cards in several names. After receiving the virtual cards, he withdrew the maximum amount of money using a digital wallet app, quickly transferred it, and later diverted the funds to his personal accounts. Over 500 PAN cards were reportedly misused in this manner. He completely exhausted the permitted cash limit of all these cards before the physical cards were delivered to the registered customers, which usually took up to 7 days,” said Crime Branch Inspector V Rajkumar, who led the four-member team that arrested in Assam. 

The fraud, which occurred over several months in 2023, came to light when a customer reported to the bank about receiving a credit card he had never applied for. A subsequent internal inquiry conducted by the bank revealed suspicious transactions linked to hundreds of virtual credit cards. Ernakulam Central Police initially registered the case based on the bank’s complaint. The State Crime Branch later took over the case. 

The officers traced about ₹4 crore to Sirajul’s account that was transferred through the digital wallet app. When the Crime Branch contacted Assam Police to identify the accused, it was found that Sirajul already faced cases for similar offences there. 

Besides Rajkumar, the Crime Branch team comprised sub-inspectors Manoj and Jijomon, and civil police officer Jomon. They spent 17 days in Assam tracking down Sirajul and collecting details about his background. “He was living a high-tech life. His home had automated gates and digital locks that can be controlled using his smartphone. The house had all modern amenities, which we suspect were funded using the money from the scam,” Rajkumar said.

The Crime Branch are now examining his other assets and suspect that several were purchased using money from the fraudulent operation. A search is on to locate his brother and recover the swindled funds.

“Sirajul was brought to Kochi and produced before the Ernakulam Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Wednesday. He was remanded into judicial custody. We will seek his custody in the coming days for further investigation. He is charged with section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code and section 66D (cheating by personation using a computer resource) of the IT Act,” Rajkumar said.