Railway police on Friday arrested an inter-State cybercrime accused who was involved in a series of mobile phone thefts and digital frauds targeting train passengers under the Guntakal division. The accused allegedly siphoned off nearly ₹18 lakh from victims’ bank accounts by exploiting access to stolen mobile phones.

The accused, Hari Barman (31), a resident of Alipurduar district in West Bengal, was apprehended after a meticulous investigation involving analysis of CCTV footage, mobile data tracking, technical surveillance and intelligence inputs. Over the past few months, at least five cases of mobile phone theft and online financial fraud were reported within the Renigunta jurisdiction.

According to the police, the accused was addicted to online betting, casino games and cricket gambling. To fund his addiction, he targeted sleeping passengers on long-distance trains, mainly elderly travellers and those using weak or easily guessable mobile phone locks. After stealing mobile phones, ATM cards and identity documents, he accessed banking and UPI applications to change PINs and withdraw cash through banking apps. He also made online purchases, including gold coins, using the victims’ e-commerce accounts.

Following increased surveillance by the Government Railway Police in West Bengal, the accused allegedly shifted his operations to Andhra Pradesh and committed similar offences on the Guntakal–Chennai and Vijayawada–Tirupati routes. To delay detection, he is said to have impersonated police officers while contacting victims’ relatives.

Police recovered gold ornaments, gold coins, mobile phones, a tablet, an Apple Watch, AirPods and cash, collectively valued at ₹9.26 lakh. The accused has previous criminal cases registered against him in both West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.