ED Takes Action Against Cyber Fraud Ring; Raids in Kolkata, Delhi, and Bengaluru
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Synopsis
The ED has intensified its investigation into a cyber fraud racket involving digital arrest scams, executing raids in Kolkata, Delhi, and Bengaluru, and seizing incriminating evidence linked to the case of Ms. Uma Jacinta Burney and others.
Key Takeaways
- ED's crackdown on cyber fraud
- Raids conducted in Kolkata, Delhi, Bengaluru
- Impersonation of officials from CBI and Customs
- Seizure of incriminating documents
- Investigation based on FIR from Kolkata Police
Kolkata, April 16 (NationPress) The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Kolkata Zonal Office, has ramped up its investigation into a significant cyber fraud operation linked to digital arrest scams. The agency executed search operations recently under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, at various sites in Kolkata, Delhi, and Bengaluru, related to the case involving Ms. Uma Jacinta Burney and others.
The executed searches resulted in the confiscation of numerous incriminating documents and digital evidence associated with a complex cyber fraud syndicate. The ED initiated its inquiry based on an FIR lodged by the Kolkata Police at Cyber PS, Kolkata, under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, and the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Officials indicated that the suspects formed a well-organized criminal conspiracy that involved impersonating officials from central agencies, including the CBI and Customs.
They reached out to victims through phone and WhatsApp, falsely accusing them of being involved in money laundering, and threatened them with arrest and confiscation of assets. The fraudsters created forged documents featuring logos from esteemed institutions such as the Supreme Court, RBI, Customs, and CBI to add weight to their threats and extort significant amounts of money.
The ED’s inquiry further uncovered that the accused utilized several current bank accounts registered in the names of individuals who provided their credentials for commissions.
These accounts were employed to receive and transfer funds from the frauds, with rapid movement of money across different accounts to obscure the trail and launder the proceeds.
Previously in the case, the ED apprehended two primary masterminds -- Yogesh Dua from Delhi and Chirag Kapoor alias Chintak Raj from Bengaluru -- on April 4 under Section 19(1) of the PMLA. They were initially placed in ED custody and are currently in judicial custody.
The ED is actively pursuing the financial trail and identifying additional associates involved in the digital extortion network.
