Ahmedabad Crime Branch busts interstate gang swapping high-value online orders with dummy products, 5 arrested

The Ahmedabad City Crime Branch has busted an interstate gang that allegedly duped e-commerce companies by replacing high-value products ordered online with dummy items and then cancelling the orders, causing losses running into lakhs of rupees. Five members of the gang have been arrested, while two others are absconding.

According to the Crime Branch officials, the accused targeted online marketplaces such as Flipkart and Amazon, exploiting the delivery and return mechanism to siphon off expensive electronic goods. The total value of seized items and recovered property is estimated at ₹20.52 lakh.

How the scam worked

Police said the gang operated through a well-planned modus operandi spread across Gujarat and Rajasthan. The accused allegedly created and used multiple fake and borrowed user IDs and passwords on e-commerce platforms to place orders for costly gadgets, including smartphones, smartwatches and gaming processors.

To avoid suspicion, deliveries were routed to different addresses in cities such as Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat in Gujarat, as well as Jalore in Rajasthan. In several cases, the accused allegedly arranged for friends or associates to receive the parcels on their behalf.

Once the package was delivered, the gang members would carefully open the parcel, remove the original product and replace it with a dummy item of similar weight and appearance. After resealing the package, they would initiate a return or cancellation request on the app, claiming the product was defective or incorrect. The original item would then be sold in the grey market, while the e-commerce platform bore the loss.

“The accused exploited gaps in the logistics and returns process. By swapping genuine products with dummy items, they managed to cheat e-commerce companies repeatedly without immediate detection,” a senior Crime Branch officer said.

Arrests and seizures

The arrested accused have been identified as:

* Ramlal alias Romil Gehlot, a resident of Shastrinagar, Jalore city, Rajasthan;

* Manoj Kumar Mali, resident of FCI Colony, Jalore city;

* Bharat Kumar Sundesha (Mali), also from FCI Colony, Jalore;

* Vishal Hasmukhbhai Panchal (29), a resident of Katargam, Surat; and

* Vishal Kanjibhai Bawari, a resident of Noblenagar, Ahmedabad, originally from Alir in Rajasthan.

Police have seized eight mobile phones, 25 dummy mobile phones, three dummy ear buds, 12 gaming processors, nine camera lens, an electric hair dryer, glue remover bottles, plastic injection tools, metal dice-shaped parcel-opening tools, parcel rolls, sellotape rolls and a Scorpio car allegedly used in the crime.

Two more accused — Rishipal Bhati and Vinod Reh, both residents of Jalore, Rajasthan — are currently absconding, police said.

Earlier frauds revealed

During interrogation, the arrested accused reportedly confessed to similar frauds in the past. Police said the gang admitted to stealing two Apple Watches in Jalore in December 2025, cheating customers and platforms of seven mobile phones and 10 Apple Watches in Surat in October 2025, and defrauding e-commerce companies of iPhone 17 Pro Max and three iPhone 16 Pro devices in Vadodara in January 2026.

A case has been registered at the DCB Police Station under relevant sections of the BNS and further investigation is underway to trace the money trail, identify additional accomplices and ascertain the total extent of losses caused to online platforms.

Police said more arrests are likely as the probe progresses, and efforts are on to nab the absconding accused.