By installing illegal microchips in electronic weighing machines, an interstate gang manipulated scrap weight to siphon off profits of up to ₹1.5 lakh per truckload. (Source: File Photo)Police here said Monday that it had arrested seven suspected members of an interstate gang that committed weighbridge fraud during the purchase of scrap from private firms and others.Ahmedabad City Police’s Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) caught the seven individuals when they regrouped at Vatva GIDC in the city. Earlier, the police had received intelligence regarding a gang actively operating across multiple states and committing fraud in scrap purchases.A statement on Monday said, “During the investigation, it was found that the accused illegally installed a microchip in the electronic weighing machines used at weighbridges. This tampered with the weight display system of the machines. Also, they used a remote control to manipulate the system, intentionally displaying the actual weight of the scrap-loaded vehicles as less than the real weight, thereby generating fake weight receipts.”Also Read | 7 pilgrims crushed to death on Gujarat’s Lakhtar-Viramgam highwayPolice inspector NR Brahmbhatt told the Indian Express, “Based on primary interrogation, it appears they have perpetrated fraud with the same modus operandi in at least four states—Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh—over the past three to four years. We primarily believe that they must have defrauded companies of crores of rupees over the years, considering they used to earn an illicit profit of at least Rs1 to 1.5 lakh per truckload of scrap.”Several companies put out yearly tenders for the removal of scrap generated in manufacturing units. Inspector Brahmbhatt said the gang would win tenders by offering the highest price for scrap, then offer the weighbridge operator either a cut of the profit or a lump sum amount of Rs10,000 to Rs15,000 to let them manipulate the machine.”Sanket Himmat Raval, one of the seven men arrested, was previously a weighbridge repairman and, thus, knew such machines well, said police officials. Meanwhile, Rajnish Kashyap, who was still wanted, supplied the others with microchips and remote controls used in the manipulation of the machines.DCB received a concrete tip-off that members of this gang were gathering with their illegal equipment at Phase-3 of Vatva GIDC. Acting on this intelligence, a Crime Branch team conducted a raid and successfully apprehended 7 accused individuals, including Hemantkumar Vijaybhai Raval (33), Sanket Himmatbhai Raval (24), Vijaybhai Govindbhai Thakor (36), Manishbhai Shamalbhai Rabari (27), Vinodbhai Nagarbhai Patni (36), Mukeshbhai Sureshbhai Patni (31), and Sunil Ashwinbhai Patni (36).Story continues below this adSix others still absconding were Rajnish Kashyap, Chirag Goswami alias Chirag Bawa, Sunil Bodi, Vinod Champo, Ashok Gugo, and Sanjay Patni.They were all booked under BNS sections 318(4) (cheating), 336(3) (forgery for cheating), 340(2) (using forged documents as genuine), 316(5) (criminal breach of trust), and 61(2)(a) (criminal conspiracy).DCB also seized four microchips worth Rs80,000, 13 remote controls worth Rs65,000, 12 mobiles worth Rs2,65,500, and a car worth Rs15 lakh.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:fraud