Thimphu Police is investigating an alleged lottery scam involving an Indian national who is suspected to have duped several Bhutanese across the country through a Telegram group. The suspect was arrested on 11th February this year in a joint operation between South Thimphu Police and Jaigaon Police.
The arrest followed complaints from two Bhutanese who reported to the South Thimphu Police station stating that they were scammed through a Telegram group named LUCKY CHARM LOTTERY. Following investigation, police found out that the group was operated by a 25-year-old Indian national.
The case was then forwarded to the Thimphu District Court.
In March this year, the district court convicted Akash Thakur of deceptive practices and sentenced him to eight months in prison.
Following the court’s verdict, a total of Nu 110,000 was restituted to the two victims.
As more scam allegations kept emerging against Akash Thakur, South Thimphu Police forwarded the case to City Police after the district court’s judgment.
According to the police, the Telegram group had more than 800 members. Akash Thakur was identified as the mastermind behind the alleged lottery scam. Half of the members were his accomplices.
According to the police, Akash and his team used multiple SIM cards, both Bhutanese and Indian, to create fake Telegram accounts posing as Bhutanese individuals. Through these accounts, he and his team allegedly promoted fraudulent lottery schemes and encouraged members to purchase tickets, often in bulk with amounts exceeding Nu 30,000 minimum.
To gain the trust of victims, he and his team allegedly used fake profiles to claim winnings in the group, making it appear genuine and as though participants were successfully receiving lottery payouts.
Police also found that the accused used Bhutanese individuals to withdraw money on his behalf, claiming the transactions were linked to his business activities.
So far, five victims have been identified in Thimphu, with additional cases reported in Gedu and Lhuentse. Police say they are expecting more victims as investigation continues.
Tashi Dekar
