Chandigarh, Nov. 21 -- The UT cybercrime police have arrested four accused for allegedly duping a city-based businessman of over Rs.54 lakh. The accused are said to be involved in a multi-state cyber-fraud syndicate. The case was registered on April 17, on the complaint of a Chandigarh-based steel businessman, who had applied for a Toyota dealership. Soon after, he received calls and emails from fraudsters impersonating senior officials of Toyota Kirloskar Motors. Using a fake mobile number and forged email ID, the accused convinced him that his dealership application had been approved. To make the offer appear genuine, the accused sent him a forged Letter of Intent (LOI) on what appeared to be the company's official letterhead. Believing the communication to be authentic, the complainant transferred Rs.54 lakh into two bank accounts provided by the fraudsters. Toyota Kirloskar Motors later confirmed that neither the contact details nor the LOI belonged to the company, following which the matter was reported to the cybercrime police station. Following technical analysis of bank account details, money flow, and digital footprints, the cybercrime police uncovered a network of multiple mule accounts used to receive and launder the cheated funds. Acting swiftly, police teams conducted raids in Maharashtra and Gujarat, with assistance from local police. Four accused were arrested during these operations- Mubarak Ali Gafar Ali Shah, 24, Ankit Surendra Jha, 25, both from Thane, Maharashtra; Dharmendra Kumar, 36, Kalyan (East), Maharashtra and Santosh Kumar Yadav, 29, Surat, Gujarat. Police recovered multiple passbooks, ATM cards, SIM cards, and mobile phones used in the execution of the fraud. Each of the accused played a distinct role in the scam. Mubarak Ali opened and sold second-layer bank accounts used to receive the fraud money. Ankit Jha acted as a middleman, procuring accounts from Mubarak and others and passing them to the handler. Santosh Yadav sourced bank accounts from unsuspecting individuals and used SIM cards linked to the crime. Dharmendra Kumar purchased these mule accounts and supplied them to the handler responsible for ATM withdrawals. During interrogation, the accused revealed the identities of other key associates based in Jharkhand and Bihar who were involved in operating mule accounts and withdrawing cash. CCTV footage from banks concerned also confirmed the presence of additional suspects. The arrests were made in FIR number 35, dated April 17, registered in Chandigarh under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. Officials said the case is still at an early stage and further custodial interrogation is necessary to analyse digital devices, track the money trail, and identify remaining accused....