NEW DELHI: In a remote village like Karmatar in Jharkhand's Jamtara district, most people consider computers and mobile phones as things that only the rich can think about. But the police know otherwise. Almost every week, a scrutinize team lands up in the village in tracking down of a tech-savvy criminal. Karmatar, in fact, is a hub of banking-related cybercrime.

Give the lie to its sleeping existence as a village of huts and potholed roads, Karmatar, police believe, is where almost half of the country's online financial crimes initiate. Around 200 young men are alleged to be involved in these rackets. Among them is Mohammad Salim, who was arrested by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police in a current operation.

After passing his Class X exams, Salim told his father, Abdul Mannan, that he would quit studies for earning money. In time, he came across a fellow villager who was the talk of the area for the branded clothes he wore and the motorcycle he rode. Salim's life tainted soon after.

Salim, who once never seemed to be able to remain at home, would now be hardly ever seen outside his room, which he confirmed out of bounds even to his family members. Inside, there was a table, bed and half a dozen mobile phones. For his family, Salim was working for an online firm from home, handling data entry and customer service. In reality, however, Salim was occupied in a big interstate financial racket.

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