New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested a man from Jaipur airport in connection with a case related to alleged defrauding of US citizens through fake call centres in India in the guise of providing loans at cheaper rates.
The accused, identified as Rafiq Khan, was on the run and was intercepted while he was trying to flee to Sharjah in the UAE. Khan is one of the alleged co-conspirators behind operation of the fake call centres, the agency said. He was arrested by the Jaipur zonal office of the agency.
ED has initiated investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on the basis of the FIRs registered by Rajasthan Police's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Special Operations Group (SOG), Jaipur under various sections of the IPC and Information Technology (Amended) Act, 2008.
Investigations have revealed that there was a well planned conspiracy by the accused to defraud foreign nationals by opening virtual call centres and bank accounts in USA, which were being operated from Jaipur, Mohali, Mathura and various places in India.
The agency said that the proceeds of crime generated had been routed through various Indian and foreign bank accounts opened in the names of the accused and shell companies registered by them. Ultimately, the proceeds of crime were invested in the properties in order to project them as genuine and untainted, ED said.
Earlier, ED's Jaipur zonal office arrested three accused namely Shahanawaz Ahmed Jeelani, Vipin Kumar Sharma and Viraj Singh Kuntal, in this case. The three are presently under judicial custody, ED said in a statement. Rafiq Khan is the fourth arrest in this case. The Prosecution Complaint has already been filed by ED on August 24 last year, it added.
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