SWR’s RPF sleuths bust a web of hackers

VASCO: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) sleuths from the South Western Railway (SWR) zone have busted a complex web of illegal operators and hackers who used Pakistani software to compromise the IRCTC Tatkal system to stealthily book reserved tickets, bypassing the Indian Railways as well as the bank OTP safeguards. 

The SWR press release states, in September last year intelligence agencies alerted the use of illegal software for bypassing the IRCTC and Bank security systems deployed in booking tatkal tickets throughout India.  

After multiple raids by SWR’s RPF sleuths, a person was arrested who provided lead about a mastermind of illegal software business who would deploy software to bypass the IRCTC Tatkal system and even bank OTP and directly book tickets extorting premium 4 to 5 times the railway ticket price from passengers, the release states.

The arrested person fled Bengaluru and was on the run from October 2019. In January 2020, his whereabouts were tracked to Kenderpara in Odisha where he was arrested and brought to Bengaluru for further investigation by Bengaluru RPF team, it further states.

During the interrogation it was revealed that he was using Pakistani based software of high level hacking calibre, employing Linux based systems to break into applications of ISRO, Railways and other government organisations. He was found to be using 3000 bank account details, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency links. 

During further interrogation, the entire black market of 25,000 hackers and touts with high command in India and abroad was detected. The black money generated from this illegal activity amounted in hundreds of crores and it was linked to various other anti- national and criminal activities throughout the country and abroad. As a result of this activity unauthorised tickets were booked and genuine passengers could not book e tickets through IRCTC personal IDs as in seconds of opening the tickets would vanish as the gang was using powerful software, the release adds.

Also, there were around 25,000 hackers involved all India with a cadre based hierarchy where touts would generate demand bring it to sellers who used the software to compromise the system.  These sellers in turn reported to panel developers who would give them access to the software for monthly charges. These panel developers would report to financial and technical admins whose main job was to maintain the servers hosted in foreign countries and then the illegal money generated is suspected to be used in terror funding making illegal documents for hostile foreign nations’ money laundering thorough crypto currency etc, it states.

With the top level intervention by DG/RPF who personally co-ordinated  through DIG Railway Board, various raids throughout India were conducted and subsequently over 100 panel developers and software sellers were arrested throughout India.  The software codes were seized and destroyed.

In view of their persistent work to apprehend the touts, DG/RPF awarded a commendation certificate to Principal Chief Security Commissioner/ SWR and Divisional Security Commissioner/Bangalore and team for unearthing the all India illegal software racket and their modus operandi. Minister for Railway has now given assent take up the case with CBI as it has larger international security ramifications, the release adds.