Six arrested in Assam over alleged fraud network linked to Pakistan operatives: Police

Assam Police’s Special Task Force arrested six Guwahati residents over an alleged organised financial-fraud network. Police said the network was linked to Pakistan Intelligence Operatives and had cheated victims of several crores of rupees. The investigation began after intelligence inputs and a complaint about online fraud in Sonitpur.

The first arrests were Marjina Begum, Mofijul Haque and Himangshu Das on October 28. Police then arrested Rakib Hussain on October 29, followed by Iftar Hussain and Arman Aziz Hoque on October 30. Investigators seized phones, laptops, bank materials and other documents.

Police say the network used multiple mule bank accounts to route money across the country. The suspected mastermind allegedly controlled members from outside Assam. The STF is now tracing the money, identifying more accounts and investigating the possible extent of links with Pakistan-based intelligence operatives.

A mule bank account is a bank account used to receive, hold or transfer money for another person or group. The account holder may be recruited, deceived or knowingly involved. Criminals use these accounts because the trail first points to an ordinary account, not directly to the people controlling the operation.

In Assam, police say Marjina Begum’s account received several lakhs of rupees between June 22 and August 5, 2026. The money was withdrawn almost immediately after each deposit. Investigators linked other people to suspicious transactions connected with her account.

Mule accounts can help move stolen money through several layers and across different places. They can also make recovery harder because funds may be withdrawn or transferred quickly. In this case, the STF is tracing fraudulent funds and identifying additional mule accounts as the investigation continues.

The alleged fraud network was not limited to Assam. The STF said it had operated across different parts of the country for approximately two years. Police also said the network used multiple mule bank accounts to facilitate fraudulent transactions, suggesting a distributed operation rather than a single local incident.

The article does not provide an exact rupee total. It says victims were defrauded of several crores of rupees. The investigation began with an online-fraud complaint in Sonitpur and later uncovered suspicious activity involving a Guwahati bank account.

The suspected mastermind is believed to have coordinated members from outside Assam. Police are still tracing the movement of fraudulent funds and looking for additional accounts and members. Therefore, the network’s precise size and total losses may change as investigators examine transactions across the country.

Investigators noticed unusually fast movement in Marjina Begum’s bank account. It received credits amounting to several lakhs of rupees over a short period, from June 22 through August 5, 2026. The deposits were not simply left in the account.

Police said the money was withdrawn almost immediately after each deposit. Repeatedly receiving large sums and quickly removing them can indicate that an account is being used to pass money onward. That pattern led investigators to examine who controlled the account and who was connected to its transactions.

The STF also found suspected links involving Mofijul Haque and Himangshu Das. Police said their activities were connected with Marjina’s account and may have involved a Pakistan Intelligence Operative. The account pattern became an important lead in a wider investigation into the alleged fraud network.

Finding the accounts and devices gives investigators evidence and possible routes into a fraud network. It can help connect transactions, messages, documents and people. But the article does not say that all fraudulent funds were recovered or frozen after the arrests.

The STF seized mobile phones, laptops, electronic gadgets, passbooks, ATM cards and other documents. These items may help investigators examine how money moved and who was involved. Police specifically said they were tracing the movement of fraudulent funds and identifying additional mule bank accounts.

The current outcome remains under investigation. The STF is also trying to identify and arrest remaining members. Because the suspected mastermind is believed to operate from outside Assam, following the money and digital evidence may help police map the wider network. The article gives no final recovery amount or confirmed restitution to victims.

The article uses “Pakistan Intelligence Operatives,” or PIOs, for people linked to Pakistan’s intelligence activities. It does not identify a specific organisation, name any operative or explain the exact relationship with the alleged fraud network. That limit matters because the links remained under investigation, not established as a final finding.

The STF said preliminary findings connected the suspected financial activities to a PIO. It is examining whether the network’s links with Pakistan-based intelligence operatives had a wider nature and whether other anti-national elements were involved. Police also recovered electronic devices and financial documents.

Investigators would examine such links because a money network could potentially support activities beyond ordinary fraud. In this case, however, the article does not state that the fraud money funded espionage or any other operation. The STF is still assessing the nature and extent of the suspected connections.

Organised online-fraud networks often separate the people who contact victims from those who receive or move money. They may use recruited account holders, several bank accounts and digital devices to create distance from the controllers. The article does not describe the recruitment method used in this network, so that part remains unknown.

The Assam case shows the mechanism more clearly. Marjina Begum’s account received several lakhs and the money was withdrawn quickly. Investigators then linked Mofijul Haque and Himangshu Das to suspicious transactions. During questioning, they allegedly named more people, leading to three further arrests.

Police believe the suspected mastermind coordinated members from outside Assam. Using multiple mule accounts allowed the alleged network to move fraudulent transactions across different parts of India. The STF is now identifying remaining members, tracing funds and finding additional accounts. The article does not establish exactly how people were recruited or how the controller communicated.