International Cyber Threat Uncovered

In a major breakthrough against cross-border cybercrime and terror threats, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a 24-year-old man from Kanpur for allegedly generating and selling nearly five lakh fake email IDs. The digital identities were reportedly procured by handlers in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and several other nations to dispatch a wave of hoax and terror-related bomb threats across major Indian urban centers.

The accused, identified as Ankit Shankhwar, is a resident of the Ghatampur area in Kanpur. According to law enforcement officials, Shankhwar operated a sophisticated clandestine digital network, leveraging proxy servers and Wi-Fi connections to obscure his digital footprint while conducting illicit transactions across darknet and social media forums.

Modus Operandi and International Nexus

Investigators revealed that Shankhwar began manufacturing fake digital identities as early as 2021. He allegedly marketed and sold these pre-verified email addresses through specialized Facebook groups, establishing a clientele spanning Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, and Egypt.

The operation unraveled following a rigorous technical probe into a series of threatening emails directed at elite educational institutions and high-profile public venues in Noida, Delhi-NCR, Gurugram, and Mumbai. Authorities traced a specific threat email—which invoked extremist nomenclature such as the Khalistan National Army and Babbar Khalsa—back to a network node operating out of Kanpur.

Further forensic analysis of a seized laptop and mobile phone uncovered extensive Excel databases cataloging approximately 500,000 fraudulent email addresses. Among the recovered data was an inbox entry allegedly utilized to target the Mumbai mayor's office in late October, as well as digital footprints linked to planned disruptions targeting prominent public figures and events, including a scheduled concert by singer Diljit Dosanjh.

Cryptocurrency Financing and Arrest

Financial tracking by the ATS exposed a transnational monetization scheme. Investigators discovered that Shankhwar received compensation for his services through Binance cryptocurrency wallets, transacting primarily in Tether (USDT)—a stablecoin favored in illicit cross-border digital transfers due to its rapid settlement and relative anonymity.

Interrogation records indicate that Shankhwar was directly recruited by a Bangladeshi national identified as Alamin Islam via encrypted messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook. Islam reportedly disbursed approximately 6,000 USD in Tether to Shankhwar in exchange for bulk deliveries of fake email credentials.

The UP ATS is currently formalizing legal proceedings to present the accused before a designated court, where investigators will seek an extended police custody remand to dismantle the broader international syndicate tied to the cyber network.