Pune: 9-Member Cyber Crime Racket Booked Under MCOCA For First Time By Pimpri-Chinchwad Police

Pimpri Chinchwad: In a major crackdown on cybercrime, the Pimpri Chinchwad Police have invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) of 1999 against a nine-member cyber fraud gang. This is the first time the commissionerate has used MCOCA against habitual cyber criminals.

Pimpri-Chinchwad Commissioner of Police Vinoy Kumar Choubey said strict action is being taken to curb organised crime and monitor repeat offenders. The move follows rising cases of cyber fraud targeting citizens.

The case began on 20th February 2026, after a retired senior citizen from Pimpri Chinchwad was cheated of Rs 11.13 crore through a fake trading app. The complaint was registered at the Cyber Police Station of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate (PCPC) under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.

During the probe, police tracked the money trail across multiple bank accounts. A court later allowed the return of Rs 2.65 crore from frozen accounts to the victim.

Investigations led to the arrest of nine accused from different locations, including Pune, Mumbai, Kolhapur, Aurangabad, and Udaipur in Rajasthan. Police said the accused were part of an organised network involved in multiple cyber fraud cases.

Gang Created Fake Investment Schemes…

According to officials, the gang created fake investment schemes on social media platforms. They lured people with promises of high returns in share market investments. The defrauded money was then converted into virtual currencies like USDT to hide the trail.

Police also found links between the gang and international cyber criminals. The accused were involved in similar fraud cases in Pimpri Chinchwad, Mumbai, and parts of Madhya Pradesh.

Strong Message Against Organised Cybercrime…

Based on the findings, a proposal to invoke MCOCA was submitted by Senior Police Inspector Ravikiran Nale, in charge of the Cyber Police Station. The approval was granted by Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sarang Awad, who added relevant sections of the Act to the case.

Senior officers, including Joint Commissioner Shashikant Mahavarkar and DCP (Crime) Shivaji Pawar, supervised the operation.

Police said the action sends a strong message against organised cybercrime. Further investigation is underway to trace more links and recover additional money.