Gurugram, Feb 12 (NationPress) In a significant move against fraudulent call centres exploiting US citizens, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized properties valued at Rs 90.21 crore in Gurugram and surrounding regions, while also filing a charge sheet against eight individuals, an official disclosed on Thursday.

The charge sheet was submitted by the ED's Gurugram Zonal Office on February 10 to a Special Court (PMLA) in Gurugram against the accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, following the apprehension of Chandra Prakash Gupta, a key conspirator in this scheme.

The charge sheet cites violations of Sections 44 and 45 of the PMLA for money laundering as outlined in Section 3, in conjunction with Section 70, and punishable under Section 4 of the PMLA, 2002, against CSPRO Technology (OPC) Private Limited, Chandra Prakash Gupta, and others including Aakash Kumar Dubey, Pankaj Kumar Jha, along with several employees.

The investigation commenced based on an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Delhi.

The ED's probe under PMLA revealed that between 2021 and 2024, illegal call centres were operational in Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram.

According to the ED, these call centres specifically targeted foreign nationals, primarily citizens of the United States, by impersonating officials from reputable technology firms like Microsoft.

Victims were duped through fraudulent pop-up alerts on their computer screens, misleading them into believing their systems were compromised.

Under the guise of offering technical support, the accused persuaded victims to download remote access software, enabling unauthorized access to their computers and online banking accounts, leading to significant financial fraud.

The investigation further disclosed that the proceeds of crime were initially sent to foreign bank accounts and various cryptocurrency wallets, later funneled back to India through hawala channels in cash.

Subsequently, these funds were intricately layered and integrated into the domestic financial system using a network of shell companies by issuing fraudulent invoices.

The ED identified CSPRO Technology (OPC) Private Limited in Noida, and subsequently Innonet Technology (OPC) Private Limited in Gurugram, as front companies utilized for the illegal call centres.

The primary masterminds and principal beneficiaries of this scam included Abhinav Kalra, Arjun Gulati, and Divyansh Goel, alongside active participation from Chandra Prakash Gupta, who oversaw the daily operations of the call centres, including call supervision, coordination with co-conspirators, and management of technical infrastructure.

The Special Court (PMLA) in Gurugram has issued non-bailable warrants against the three key accused, as they remain at large from the ongoing investigation.