Ahmedabad illegal call centre bust: 7 held for targeting foreign nationals in loan scam
Synopsis
Naroda Police cracked an Ahmedabad-based call centre allegedly defrauding foreign nationals by posing as bank lawyers — complete with Microsoft Teams for data sourcing, WhatsApp and Telegram for card details, and Bitcoin plus hawala for the payouts. Seven are in custody; investigators are now tracing the vendor network behind it.
Key Takeaways
Naroda Police busted an alleged illegal call centre in Ahmedabad on 23 September 2026 .
Seven people — five men and two women — were arrested; the alleged ringleader was identified as Jignesh Zalavar, 40 .
Accused reportedly posed as bank lawyers and targeted foreign nationals with fraudulent loan settlement offers.
Victims' credit-card details were extracted and sent to vendors via WhatsApp and Telegram ; 50% of proceeds moved through Bitcoin , the rest through hawala .
Equipment worth ₹2,60,500 seized, including 7 laptops and 8 mobile phones .
Case registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and IT Act Sections 66(C) and 66(D) .
Naroda Police in Ahmedabad, Gujarat busted an alleged illegal call centre on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, arresting seven individuals — including two women — for targeting foreign nationals by impersonating bank lawyers and offering fraudulent loan settlements at reduced rates. Equipment worth ₹2,60,500 was seized from the premises.
How the Raid Unfolded
Acting on a tip-off received during routine patrolling, a Naroda Police team raided Shop No. 112, first floor of Sahitya Arcade near Rajchandra Circle in the Naroda-Hanspura area. Seven individuals were found operating from the premises at the time of the raid.
The arrested persons were identified as Jignesh Zalavar, 40 (listed as a businessman); Devang Sapkal, 20; Sushil Tomar, 19; Dev Vaishnav, 20; Imtiheen Chamyard, 30; Preetiben Patel, 42; and Vaishali Vedhani, 25. The latter six were listed as data entry handlers at the alleged centre.
The Alleged Modus Operandi
According to police, Jignesh Zalavar reportedly obtained bank lead data relating to foreign nationals through Microsoft Teams. Posing as a bank lawyer, he allegedly contacted victims with offers to settle outstanding loans at discounted amounts — a classic confidence-fraud technique increasingly used by transnational cyber gangs.
Once the targets were hooked, the accused allegedly extracted their credit-card details. These details were then forwarded to vendors via WhatsApp and Telegram, after which funds were reportedly withdrawn from the victims' accounts.
Police said 50 per cent of the proceeds were received through Bitcoin, while the remainder was allegedly collected in cash via hawala channels — a dual layering method designed to obscure the money trail across jurisdictions.
Equipment and Evidence Seized
During the raid, police recovered seven laptops valued at ₹1.30 lakh, eight mobile phones worth ₹1.20 lakh, one keyboard (₹300), one mouse (₹200), one CPU (₹3,000), one desktop computer (₹5,000), and two routers (₹2,000). The total seizure was valued at ₹2,60,500.
Legal Sections Invoked
Naroda Police Station registered a case under Sections 61(2)(a), 318(4), 319(2) and 54 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act. Police confirmed that further legal action in the case is ongoing.
This case reflects a growing pattern of India-based cyber fraud operations targeting overseas victims — a category that has drawn increasing scrutiny from both domestic law enforcement and international agencies. Investigators are expected to probe the broader vendor network and hawala links connected to the accused.
Point of View
Exploiting the jurisdictional complexity to reduce law-enforcement exposure. The use of Microsoft Teams for data sourcing signals operational sophistication beyond typical phishing setups. More troubling is the Bitcoin-hawala split for proceeds — a dual-channel laundering method that complicates asset recovery and suggests this was not an improvised operation. Whether Naroda Police can unravel the vendor network and hawala trail will determine whether this case ends with seven arrests or exposes a larger transnational ring.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the alleged scam busted by Naroda Police in Ahmedabad?
Naroda Police busted an alleged illegal call centre at Sahitya Arcade, Naroda-Hanspura on 23 September 2026, where operatives reportedly posed as bank lawyers to trick foreign nationals into handing over credit-card details under the guise of loan settlements. Funds were then withdrawn from victims' accounts by vendors contacted via WhatsApp and Telegram.
Who was arrested in the Ahmedabad call centre raid?
Seven people were arrested: Jignesh Zalavar (40), the alleged ringleader, and six data entry handlers — Devang Sapkal (20), Sushil Tomar (19), Dev Vaishnav (20), Imtiheen Chamyard (30), Preetiben Patel (42), and Vaishali Vedhani (25).
How did the accused allegedly receive the fraud proceeds?
According to police, 50 per cent of the proceeds were received through Bitcoin, while the remaining amount was allegedly collected in cash via hawala channels — a method designed to obscure the money trail.
What charges have been filed in the case?
Naroda Police registered a case under Sections 61(2)(a), 318(4), 319(2) and 54 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, which cover identity theft and cheating by personation using computer resources.
What equipment was seized during the Ahmedabad call centre raid?
Police seized seven laptops, eight mobile phones, one CPU, one desktop computer, two routers, a keyboard, and a mouse — totalling ₹2,60,500 in value.
