Haryana’s ‘Dr Morphine’ at centre of Rs 209-crore cyber scam busted in J-K

Police said that all such accounts are under the control of fraudsters who immediately transfer the invested amount into other accounts outside J&K “by way of multiple layering and even outside the country so as to prevent detection of trail of money.”

The main accused in the case, according to the police, is Ekant Yogdutt, also known as Dr Morphine, from Hisar, Haryana, who “has learnt these techniques while doing [his] MBBS degree in the Philippines and has multiple links with Chinese nationals”.

He was arrested by the J&K Police on February 10 while returning from China at the international airport in Delhi. Eight other accused from various parts of the Kashmir region, who are alleged to have worked as “account mobilisers” for Yogdutt, were also arrested.

These individuals “approach below poverty line (BPL) account holders for providing their account and ATM cards with the promise to provide Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per month”, the SSP said. Involvement of bank employees in this scam has also emerged, who are said to have provided QR codes of accounts which were uploaded on fake websites.

“These fraudsters have established Telegram channels and groups where they regularly upload new QR codes. It is worth mentioning that once heavy transactions occur in such accounts, upon receipt of a complaint, cyber units across the country freeze such accounts, but the fraudsters promptly upload new QR codes,” Poswal added.

Naveed Iqbal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, and reports from Jammu and Kashmir. With a career spanning over 15 years in frontline journalism, Naveed provides authoritative reporting on the region’s transition, governance, and the socio-political implications of national policies. Expertise Regional Specialization: Based in the Srinagar and New Delhi bureaus, Naveed has spent over a decade documenting the unique challenges of Jammu and Kashmir. Her reporting is distinguished by deep contextual knowledge of the region's post-Article 370, statehood debates, and local electoral politics. Key Coverage Beats: Her extensive body of work covers: Politics & Governance: Tracking the National Conference (NC), PDP, and BJP dynamics, including in-depth coverage of J&K’s first Assembly sessions and Rajya Sabha polls following the reorganization of the state. Internal Security & Justice: Providing rigorous reporting on counter-insurgency operations, terror module investigations, and judicial developments involving political detainees and constitutional rights. Education & Minority Affairs: Highlighting systemic issues such as quota rows in J&K, public service commission reforms, and the challenges faced by minority communities. ... Read More

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