Pune, 2nd July 2023: The Odisha Special Task Force (STF) has apprehended a software company employee in connection with an OTP selling and sharing scam. Abhijeet Sanjay Jambure, a resident of Pune, was arrested and presented before a local court in the city before being brought to Bhubaneswar on a three-day transit remand.
Jambure, a postgraduate in statistics from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University in Anand, Gujarat, was employed at a software company in Pune. The STF officials revealed that Jambure was in regular contact with two Pakistani intelligence officials. It was discovered that in 2018, he had established a connection with Syed Danish Ali Naqvi, a resident of Khanki, Faisalabad, Pakistan, through Facebook Messenger. Naqvi claimed to be a freelancer at Chegg, an American education technology company.
During their communication, Jambure shared his user ID and password for Chegg with Naqvi. Subsequently, Naqvi used Jambure’s identity to work for Chegg, and the earnings were credited to Jambure’s account in India. Jambure was then compelled to perform tasks for Naqvi as per his instructions.
The STF further revealed that Naqvi introduced Jambure to his associate Khurram, alias Abdul Hamid, from Karachi, Pakistan. Khurram, believed to be a senior officer in the Pakistan Army’s intelligence division, possessed an extensive network of agents in India. Jambure facilitated money transfers to various people of Indian origin (PIOs) as directed by Khurram. Additionally, Jambure had conversations with at least seven Pakistani citizens and ten Nigerian citizens through WhatsApp.
Prior to this arrest, the STF had already uncovered a cryptocurrency trading worth Rs. 1 crore conducted by two individuals associated with the OTP sharing gang. So far, a total of six individuals have been apprehended for sharing OTPs of pre-activated SIM cards with criminals and suspected Pakistani agents. The special task force is actively pursuing further investigations to apprehend any remaining individuals involved in this fraudulent scheme.
The arrest of Abhijeet Sanjay Jambure sheds light on the interconnected nature of cybercrimes and the international networks that facilitate such illegal activities. The authorities are committed to dismantling these networks and ensuring the safety and security of individuals affected by such scams.
The investigation is ongoing, and the Odisha STF is determined to uncover any additional individuals involved in the OTP sharing scam.
