Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
After a brief 15-minute hearing, the court remanded the prime accused in the bogus call centre cyber fraud racket to police custody till November 8.
Senior police inspector Geeta Bagwade and police sub inspector Amol Mhaske produced the prime accused, Abdul Farooq Mukadam Shah alias Farooqui, before court at 3.15 pm on Thursday. Police have busted a major cyber fraud racket suspected to be linked with anti-national activities and illegal financial transactions. Investigations revealed that the accused ran a fake call centre targeting foreign nationals and duped them of crores of rupees through cryptocurrency and anonymous fund transfers. During the raid, officers seized forged documents resembling foreign court orders and papers bearing the names of high-ranking foreign officials, triggering concern among intelligence agencies. Officials suspect the gang may have used these fake documents and high-tech systems not only for financial fraud but also for activities potentially aiding anti-national operations. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and central intelligence units have launched a joint investigation into the case. The racket was busted on Tuesday at an IT Park in Chikalthana Industrial Area, where the accused had set up a bogus call centre under the name IRS Internal Revenue Service Investigation Department. The centre operated exclusively at night. Using stolen tax and bank data, the suspects threatened or lured citizens from the US and other countries with fake refund or prize offers, extorting crores. Police have arrested Bhavesh Prakash Chaudhary (34), Bhavik Shivdev Patel (27), Satish Shankar Lade (35), and Valay Parag Vyas (33), all from Ahmedabad, along with Ajay Thakur and Manvardhan Rathod. Farooq, the mastermind, was later nabbed in Goa.
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Further investigation will examine:
• Interrogation of Farooq and the six accused to learn how they met and where they were trained.
• Tracking the money trail and methods used to siphon off millions of dollars.
• Examining how they obtained and forged documents of foreign officials and courts, and their intended use.
• Verifying the identity of a suspect named John, whose ID was found, to determine if he is real or part of a foreign anti-India network.
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Foreign agencies to share case details
The Director General of Police (DGP) Office has taken charge of the probe. Since the victims are primarily from the US and other countries, international agencies have contacted the DGP office and shared data on similar frauds abroad. The evidence will be cross-verified with materials seized from the call centre. A formal email confirming this exchange has already reached senior police officials.
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Commissioner interrogates mastermind
With the case showing possible international and anti-national links, the DGP office is monitoring the investigation closely. Soon after the arrest, police commissioner (in charge) Sudhir Hiremat personally interrogated Farooq for three hours from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm at MIDC Cidco Police Station.
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Hawala network funded Farooq after Raipur operations
Before shifting to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the gang operated from Raipur. Once police there began tracking their activities, they swiftly relocated operations to Sambhajinagar. Farooq managed staff recruitment, transport, accommodation, office setup, and logistics. After restarting operations, he received cash through hawala channels from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi to pay staff and cover expenses. Police are now tracing the hawala operators who financed the racket.
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