The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids in Gujarat and Maharashtra in a major money laundering probe tied to cyber frauds worth over Rs 100 crore. Accused scammers used fake digital arrests, cryptocurrency trading, and forged KYC documents to cheat people and transfer illicit funds via hawala operators. Raids are ongoing in Mumbai and Surat
Representation pic
Amid the rising cases of fraudsters scamming people across the country in the name of digital arrests and money laundering, the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday conducted searches in Gujarat and Maharashtra. The search by ED was made as a part of a money laundering investigation linked to fraudsters who allegedly committed cyber crimes like digital arrests and transferred funds of more than Rs 100 crore abroad, official sources said.
As reported by PTI, the Enforcement Directorate's Ahmedabad zonal office has been conducting searches since early morning in the parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra. It has also come to light that the raids are still underway in Maharashtra's Mumbai, as well as Gujarat's Surat and Ahmedabad. Raids are being carried out in relation to the case of cybercrime fraudsters under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
It has been reported that the money laundering case stems from a Gujarat Police FIR against Makbul Doctor, Kaashif Doctor, Bassam Doctor, Mahesh Mafatlal Desai, Maaz Abdul Raheem Nada and some others, the sources said, as per PTI.
All the members who have been accused in the case by ED are alleged to have been involved in cheating the general public through various cyber frauds, such as fake USDT trading (cryptocurrency), digital arrests, threatening innocent individuals by sending fake notices of law enforcement agencies, etc., they said.
The fraudsters obtained the money from gullible persons through cyber fraud. After committing the crime, the money was collected in the bank accounts opened by either using the KYC of dummy persons or forging the KYC documents.
Furthermore, the illicit funds were converted into cryptocurrency through various 'Angadiya' or hawala operators, and they are suspected to have remitted more than Rs 100 crore in funds abroad, the sources said.
One of the officials said that “the accused persons are involved in cheating the general public of more than Rs 100 crores through various cyber frauds such as fake USDT trading, digital arrests, threatening by sending fake notices of law enforcement agencies and sending the fraud money abroad by converting it into cryptocurrency through various angadiya or hawala operators."
However, information about the seizure of assets and arrests has not been made clear by the investigative agencies as of now.
(With PTI Inputs)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
