Fake Army Recruitment Racket Busted: Kingpin Arrested in Joint Operation by Military Intelligence and Ahmednagar Police

Ahmednagar, 12th September 2024: In a major breakthrough, Military Intelligence (MI) Pune, in coordination with Bingar Camp Police Station, Ahmednagar, apprehended Satyajit Barath Kamble, the alleged mastermind behind a massive fake army recruitment racket. Kamble was arrested at Belapur in Shrirampur, Ahmednagar, after a chase that began in New Delhi.

The accused had been posing as an Army Major and was running an elaborate scam across multiple states, including Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, and New Delhi. Along with his accomplices, Kamble duped hundreds of aspiring candidates by falsely promising them jobs in the Indian Armed Forces (Army and MES).

The investigation revealed that Kamble is the kingpin of this fraudulent recruitment operation, which was spread across various states. He, along with his network of accomplices, including female touts, targeted job seekers by impersonating army officers and staff from recruitment zones. The racket had set up fake training camps in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and Shrigonda, Maharashtra. Aspiring candidates were charged between 7-8 lakh rupees each, amounting to a total scam of approximately 3-4 crore rupees.

Kamble’s modus operandi involved luring candidates at recruitment rallies and through academies spread across states like Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, and Haryana. These candidates were then directed to fake training camps in remote areas, such as the jungles of Dehradun and Shrigonda, where they were issued counterfeit joining letters under the names of high-ranking Army officials, including the Ex-Southern Army Commander and Chief Engineer Officer.

The module even went so far as to procure camping stores resembling military equipment from local markets in New Delhi and Dehradun, providing the candidates with shelter during the so-called training and issuing them fake trainee identity cards.

Authorities believe that the scope of the racket extends beyond what has been uncovered so far. During interrogation, Kamble revealed the involvement of several accomplices whose names have surfaced. The investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are likely as authorities work to identify additional members of the network.