Four Arrested in Tamil Nadu for Cyber Fraud of Rs 2.6 Crore Posing as CBI Officer
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has arrested four individuals from Pallipattu, Tamil Nadu, in connection with a cyber fraud case involving Rs 2.6 crore. The accused, identified as Tamilarasan Kuppan (29), Prakash (26), Aravindan I (23), and Ajith (28), were apprehended on September 13.
According to the ED, the four suspects were involved in creating shell companies and opening bank accounts to launder the proceeds of the cyber scam. The Special Court in Bengaluru has granted the ED four days of custody for the accused.
The ED has also frozen Rs 2.8 crore in the bank account of a shell company named Cyberforest Technology Private Limited. The investigation was initiated based on multiple FIRs filed by various state police departments, including an FIR registered by the Special Offences and Cyber Crime Police in Jaipur.
In one instance, a victim received a call from someone claiming to be from the Bombay Custom Office, alleging that illegal goods were being sent abroad under the victim’s name. The victim was then instructed to make a ‘fund legalisation’ payment, amounting to Rs 2.16 crore, in three separate instalments. The fraudsters further posed as a CBI officer and a DCP from Delhi Police to extort the victim’s life savings.
The ED’s swift action led to the freezing of Rs 2.8 crore in a Bandhan Bank account of Cyberforest Technology Private Limited. The investigation revealed that Tamilarasan was in contact with Chinese cyber fraudsters to siphon off the frozen amount. The accused were also found to be actively involved in creating shell companies and opening bank accounts to launder money from various cyber frauds.
Earlier, the ED had arrested four other individuals in Bengaluru in connection with the same case. So far, 17 searches have been conducted, leading to the seizure of incriminating materials and the freezing of Rs 2.8 crore. The investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, has identified more than Rs 28 crore generated from the cyber scam.
Doubts Revealed
Cyber Fraud -: Cyber fraud is when someone uses the internet to trick people and steal their money or personal information.
Rs 2.6 Crore -: Rs 2.6 crore is a large amount of money in Indian currency, equal to 26 million rupees.
CBI Officer -: A CBI officer is a person who works for the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is like a special police force in India that handles big and important cases.
Directorate of Enforcement (ED) -: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) is a government agency in India that investigates financial crimes like money laundering.
Pallipattu -: Pallipattu is a place in the state of Tamil Nadu, which is in the southern part of India.
Shell Companies -: Shell companies are fake companies that don’t do any real business but are used to hide money or do illegal activities.
Laundering Money -: Laundering money means making illegal money look like it came from legal sources.
Frozen Bank Account -: When a bank account is frozen, it means that no one can take money out of it or put money into it.
Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 -: The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 is a law in India that helps the government catch and punish people who are involved in money laundering.