Home / Crime and Justice / Cyber Sleuths Bust Illegal Safari Permit Racket Across India
Cyber Sleuths Bust Illegal Safari Permit Racket Across India
22 Oct
Summary
- Two Delhi residents arrested for black marketing safari permits
- Accused created fake website to issue over 12,000 fraudulent permits
- Scam targeted popular wildlife reserves across 6 Indian states
On October 22, 2025, the Gujarat Cyber Centre of Excellence announced the arrest of two Delhi residents for their involvement in a nationwide safari permit scam. Ajaykumar Ghanshyam Chaudhary and Arvind Shrikant Upadhyay were allegedly running an operation to illegally book and resell safari permits for prominent wildlife reserves across India.
The accused had created a website that mimicked the official government portal, using it to issue around 12,000 fake permits. They allegedly collected inflated payments from tourists through travel agents, defrauding customers. Investigators recovered over 8,650 confirmation emails and payment records related to the fraudulent permits.
This is the latest development in an ongoing case, with three other individuals previously arrested in connection to the scam. The accused face charges under Section 112 (organized petty crime) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The illegal safari permit racket targeted reserves in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Assam, and Madhya Pradesh, highlighting the nationwide scale of the operation. Cyber authorities are now working to identify and apprehend any other individuals involved in the scam.
