ED conducts searches in 3 states in fake call centre case

Jalandhar: The Enforcement Directorate, Jalandhar Zonal Office, on Friday conducted search operations at nine locations in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, in connection with a money laundering investigation against persons involved in operating a network of transnational financial crime by running illegal call centres and committing cyber fraud by targeting foreign citizens online.In a statement issued on Saturday, the ED said search operations covered the residential premises of Joney, Dakshay Sethi, Gaurav Verma and others. The ED initiated an investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the CBI, based on information shared by the FBI, United States of America (USA), under various Sections of BNS 2023 against the accused persons for defrauding US citizens of millions of dollars. The ED investigation revealed that the illegal call centre, had 36 employees, including Jiger Ahmed, Yash Khurana, Inderjeet Singh Bhali and Nikhil Sharma, under the supervision of Joney, Dakshay Sethi and Gaurav Verma.They cheated US victims in the guise of a technical support call centre service and, during the process, they stole crucial information from victims and threatened them with statutory action by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service, USA). They subsequently induced them to transfer their money into crypto accounts, which were siphoned from foreign victims' accounts to cryptocurrency wallets, and subsequently transferred the Proceeds of Crime for personal gains into shell entities, Bliss Infraproperties LLP and Bliss Infraventures LLP.The ED said the investigation further revealed diversion of proceeds of crime into real estate by the accused persons. The search operation resulted in the recovery of various digital devices, seizure of Rs 34 lakhs of unaccounted cash, and incriminating records linking the accused persons to high-value investments and acquisition of immovable properties in India and abroad. The central agency said that further investigation was in progress.