Hyderabad police on Thursday, 11 June announced the dismantling of a multi-level marketing racket operating under the name IGNITE, arresting six individuals across four states and reportedly averting a financial fraud estimated at ₹5,000 crore. The operation, dubbed 'Operation Ignite Crackdown', was executed by the city's Central Crime Station (CCS) just 18 days after the fraudulent entity was registered in India.

What IGNITE Is and Its Origins

According to Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar, IGNITE is not a new scheme — it is the latest rebranding of the long-running QNET money circulation network, which itself evolved from Gold Quest and QuestNet over the past three decades. Investigations by the CCS confirmed that the same principals behind the banned QNET and Vihaan Direct Selling networks are operating IGNITE, making this the fourth iteration of the same deceptive business model.

IGNITE is headquartered in Hong Kong — the same city that has served as the control centre across all avatars of this network. Its founder, Pathman Senathirajah, is a named accused in the Mumbai Economic Offences Wing FIR involving ₹425 crore and in the Tamil Nadu GoldQuest FIR. He is reportedly evading arrest from Hong Kong. The scheme's Managing Director, Adly Hassan, was identified as QNET's top India earner for several years, according to police.

How the Fraud Was Uncovered

Three victim complaints were received between 5 and 6 June from residents of Hyderabad, each of whom had paid between ₹61,639 and ₹63,899 — a combined total of ₹1.87 lakh. The victims were recruited through markedly different channels: a WhatsApp approach from an Africa-based number, an online Zoom presentation, and a face-to-face pitch at Hyderabad Central Mall.

Despite the varied recruitment methods, all three victims were directed to pay into the same bank account belonging to Parasnath Mercantile Pvt. Ltd., Branch Bhowanipore, revealing a single, coordinated collection infrastructure. Investigating officers flagged the pattern as a potential QNET resurgence, prompting the Commissioner's office to transfer the case to the CCS detective department for a consolidated investigation.

The Six Arrested

The six individuals arrested span Kerala, West Bengal, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. They are: Oneal Gupta, IGNITE Team Leader and Recruiter, Noida; Dinesh Kumar Saahil, Director of Indi Konnect Ventures Pvt. Ltd., Kakod Village, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh; Priyanshu Saxena, Director of Indi Konnect Ventures, Uttar Pradesh; Praveen Kumar Dakalia, Director of Parasnath Mercantile Private Limited, Kolkata; Paritosh Kumar Dakalia, Director of Parasnath Mercantile Private Limited; and Riyaz, Field Recruiter, Kerala.

Significance and What Comes Next

Commissioner Sajjanar underscored the speed of the intervention, noting that acting within 18 days of the entity's formation in India is estimated to have prevented a fraud of ₹5,000 crore. This is the third major legal action linked to this network's principals — after the Mumbai and Tamil Nadu FIRs — and signals a coordinated multi-state enforcement response. With three FIRs already registered and the case under CCS, investigators are expected to trace the full domestic recruiter network and pursue the overseas accused through international channels. The Hyderabad police have urged members of the public to report unsolicited investment pitches, particularly those involving upfront payments and recruitment incentives.