Fraud on name of illegal goods sent abroad, ED arrested 4

New Delhi [India], September 14 (ANI): The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has arrested four persons from Pallipattu, Tamil Nadu, in a case related to cyber fraud of Rs 2.6 crore by a fraudster posing as a CBI officer.

The accused were identified as Tamilarasan Kuppan (29), Prakash (26), Aravindan I (23) and Ajith (28) and the arrest was made on September 13.

According to ED, all four accused were involved in incorporation of shell companies and opening of bank accounts, through which Proceeds of Crime (PoC) generated from cyber scam were laundered.

The Special Court, Bengaluru, has granted ED custody of four days to these 4 accused persons. Further, ED has frozen PoC of Rs 2.8 crore in the bank account of a shell company, Cyberforest Technology Private Limited.

ED initiated an investigation on the basis of several FIRs registered by various state police all over the country, including FIR No. 330 dated September 3, registered by the Special Offences and Cyber Crime Police, Jaipur.

The victim in the FIR No. 330 received a call from a mobile number wherein a person was claiming to be calling from Bombay Custom Office. During the call, it was communicated to the victim that illegal goods were being sent abroad under the victim’s name. Then the victim was instructed to make a ‘fund legalisation’ payment as a security to ensure that no money had been illegally earned by the victim. A total amount of Rs. 2.16 crore (approx.) was asked to be transferred by the fraudsters in three separate instalments into three different accounts provided by the caller, under the guise of ‘fund legalisation’.

Subsequently, an individual who claimed to be a CBI officer contacted the victim over a mobile phone. The fraudster continued to assert that he was a CBI officer.

Furthermore, a call was received by the victim from someone who claimed to be DCP Delhi Police to verify the authenticity of the so-called CBI officer. On the insistence of so-called government officials, the victim was pressurised and extorted of his entire life savings and investments, amounting to Rs. 2.16 crore (approx.).

By way of swift action by ED, POC to the tune of Rs 2.8 crore has been frozen in a Bandhan Bank account of the shell company Cyberforest Technology Private Limited on September 12, in which the proceeds were transferred by the victim. The whole process and activities related to transactions in the bank accounts of these shell companies were done through a WhatsApp group where Tamilarasan, Ajith, Aravindan, and Prakash, along with Chinese scammers, were members. Investigation has revealed that Tamilarasan, one of the arrested persons, was in contact with Chinese cyber fraudsters for syphoning off the amount of Rs. 2.8 crore frozen in Bandhan Bank.

As per the ED, it has also been revealed that Tamilarasan, Ajith, Prakash, and Aravindan were actively involved in the incorporation of shell companies and the opening of bank accounts of these shell companies, which were used to launder the proceeds of crime generated from various cyber frauds. Tamilarasan, in active assistance with Ajith, Prakash, and Aravindan, ran a syndicate to assist cyber fraudsters in arranging dummy directors, addresses and documents for incorporation of shell companies and liasoning with bank personnel for opening accounts through which proceeds of crime generated from cyberfrauds were laundered.

Earlier, ED had arrested four persons, namely Shashi Kumar M, Sachin M, Kiran S K, and Charan Raj C, on August 15 and 21 in Bengaluru. They are currently in judicial custody.

So far, 17 searches have been conducted at various premises, which led to seizure of various incriminating material, including mobile phones and other digital devices and freezing of Rs. 2.8 crore in the bank account. Investigation under PMLA, 2002 has, so far, identified POC of more than Rs 28 crore generated from the cyber scam.