A wanted cyber fraud accused, Sheikh Sabir, was arrested at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata in the early hours of Tuesday, November 3, while allegedly attempting to board a flight to Dubai, police said. Immigration officials flagged him at the boarding gate because a lookout circular issued by the Karnataka Police and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was active against his name.

Source: Nation Press

According to a senior officer of Bidhannagar Police, Sabir had planned to leave India via Kolkata on Tuesday morning. After immigration officials detained him, he was handed over to the airport police station and was then formally arrested by Bidhannagar Police. The Karnataka Police have been notified, and officials said the process to seek his transit remand, so that he can be taken to Karnataka for investigation, is under way.

Source: Daily Kiran

Investigators allege that Sabir was a key member of a cyber fraud network involved in financial scams, including extortion and blackmail through so-called 'digital arrest' threats — a tactic in which fraudsters impersonate law-enforcement officials and coerce victims into transferring money under threat of a fake arrest. Following multiple complaints, a case was registered at the Bengaluru City Cyber Crime Police Station, and a lookout notice was issued after Sabir went missing, according to the reports.

Police said Sabir had been evading capture for an extended period and was under surveillance by the Karnataka Police and CID. Bidhannagar Police said they are extending full cooperation to the investigating agencies. The charges against Sabir are allegations at this stage and are yet to be proved in court.