Mumbai, Dec 5 (NationPress) — The Mumbai Crime Branch has made a significant breakthrough by dismantling a fraudulent international call centre that was reportedly selling counterfeit Viagra and other controlled substances to US citizens. Eight individuals have been apprehended, while efforts are underway to locate the primary suspect and several others who remain at large.

As per the statements from Crime Branch Unit 9, this operation was being conducted from a location in Kevnipada on S.V. Road in Amboli, Jogeshwari (West). The call centre, which claimed to operate under the name “Team Grand 9 Security Services LLP,” had purportedly been in operation for approximately six to seven months.

Investigators revealed that the employees of this call centre masqueraded as telemarketers based in the US, impersonating representatives of pharmaceutical firms, and specifically targeting American citizens whose personal information had been obtained unlawfully.

The individuals arrested have been identified as Mohammad Aamir Iqbal Shaikh (40), Mahir Iqbal Patel (26), Mohammad Shabib Mohammad Khalil Shaikh (26), Mohammad Ayaz Parvez Shaikh (26), Adam Ehsanullah Shaikh (32), Aryan Mushaffir Qureshi (19), Amaan Aziz Ahmed Shaikh (19), and Hashmat Jamil Jariwala (29).

Authorities are currently searching for the main perpetrator, Muzaffar Shaikh (43), along with Aamir Maniyar and others who are currently evading capture. A manhunt is in progress to apprehend them.

All eight suspects were presented in front of the Esplanade Court on Thursday, where they were remanded to police custody until December 10. This is to facilitate an in-depth investigation into the alleged fraud, procurement of foreign data, and potential financial transactions routed through international channels.

During the operation, authorities confiscated numerous laptops, headsets, USB drives, hard drives, and other digital devices believed to have been utilized in the execution of this illegal scheme. Forensic analyses will be conducted on these devices to assess the magnitude of data breaches and identify the number of foreign nationals who may have fallen victim to this scam.

A senior officer from the Crime Branch stated that the success of this operation followed precise intelligence indicating that the call centre was impersonating American nationals and targeting US citizens with telemarketing pitches for pharmaceutical products.

The Mumbai Crime Branch asserted, “Our team responded quickly to the intelligence and executed a coordinated raid. The suspects were running a fraudulent international call centre and misled foreign nationals by posing as pharmaceutical representatives. We have seized digital equipment and documents that will aid in uncovering the full scale of the operation. Efforts are ongoing to track down the absconding suspects.”

Authorities indicated that further arrests are anticipated as the investigation unfolds, especially as forensic teams begin to analyze the seized information and electronic devices.