Surat diamond fraud: Gujarat Police nab alleged mastermind behind Rs 4 crore cross-border digital racket

AHMEDABAD: What appeared to be routine international diamond trade orders allegedly turned into a sophisticated cross-border fraud operation, with criminals exploiting the trust of Surat's diamond merchants by impersonating buyers associated with reputed companies in the United States.

Gujarat's Surat Police Eco Cell has now arrested Nitin Kumar alias Kana, allegedly the mastermind of the racket, in connection with a fraud involving diamonds worth US USD 5.32 lakh, equivalent to more than Rs 4 crore.

According to the investigation, the gang first studied the digital footprints of diamond traders and foreign companies through a prominent international diamond industry platform. The accused allegedly used the information available on the platform to understand the traders' businesses, view their diamond designs and then create bogus profiles in the names of foreign companies.

Once the fake identities were ready, the accused allegedly approached Surat traders posing as genuine overseas buyers. They then built trust through online conversations before placing bulk diamond orders.

The deception did not stop at fake company identities. Investigators found that the accused allegedly used virtual gateways and WhatsApp accounts linked to foreign numbers to communicate with traders, making the transactions appear to be international business deals.