The sleuths of the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh claimed to have arrested a youth involved in earning money illegally through cryptocurrency and UPI by sharing sensitive information through Telegram channel and dark web.

According to an official communiqué released on Friday evening, the sleuths of the Uttar Pradesh ATS received intelligence from its partner agencies that a person was earning money illegally through cryptocurrency and UPI by sharing sensitive information through Telegram channel and dark web.

Developing the intelligence through physical and electronic surveillance, the suspect was called to the ATS field unit in Shravasti for questioning.  During the initial interrogation, the suspect revealed that he was associated with various groups on Telegram, in which he used to get links to download various types of sensitive data available on the dark web. He used to download the data using VPN/Orbot/Tor browser from the received links.

The suspect, identified as Noor Alam, had created a private group to share the downloaded data, in which he used to share this data. Various people from India and abroad were added to the private group by taking money.  The money received in exchange for data shared in the private group was received in cryptocurrency so that the identity of Noor Alam could remain secret.

Noor Alam used to receive cryptocurrency in his bank account through a crypto exchange application which he later used to withdraw from his bank account. Around Rs 8-10 lakh have been received through this method till now.

He also disclosed that to hide his identity he used to chat under a pseudonym on a secret handle.

On the basis of facts obtained during interrogation and evidence available in his phone, Noor Alam, son of Safat Ali of village Bhelaya Madanpur under Sadullanagar police station of Balrampur district, was arrested by ATS from Shravasti on Thursday evening.

He was charged for downloading suspicious and private data from the dark web and selling it on Telegram channels to various persons in the country and abroad under a pseudonym.  A case (number 07/2024) was registered against the accused at ATS police station, Lucknow under sections 318(4), 319(2), 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaa Sanhita and 66B/66C of the Information Technology Act.

Further legal action is being taken against the accused.