The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a money-laundering probe into an alleged international call centre racket operated from a luxury resort at Igatpuri in Nashik district, where foreign nationals were allegedly duped through fraudulent technical-support calls.
A senior ED official confirmed that the agency had registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in connection with the alleged scam. The ECIR has been registered to trace the proceeds of crime, including suspected financial transactions, digital evidence, and the alleged use of hawala and cryptocurrency channels to move funds.
It is alleged that the call centre’s smooth functioning at the resort was made possible through the “knowledge or indirect support” of certain influential local officials, with the possible involvement of a few IPS officers who may have allegedly helped shield the racket. Following the transfers of some of these officials, the call centre, too, was allegedly shifted to other districts.
Cyber-fraud hub
The probe stems from a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) case registered on August 8, in which six individuals were named for allegedly operating the fraudulent call centre from a resort in Igatpuri. Five accused persons— Vishal Yadav, Shebaz, Durgesh, Abhay Raj alias Raja, and Sameer alias Kalia alias Sohail — have already been arrested.
Bundles of unaccounted cash that were seized by the CBI during a raid on the facility
Investigation revealed that around 60 young operators were allegedly recruited and trained to speak in a foreign accent. They allegedly contacted overseas citizens under the pretext of offering technical assistance, convincing victims that their accounts had been compromised and inducing them to transfer money via digital gift cards, cryptocurrency, and e-vouchers, which were later converted into cash. During the CBI raid, officials allegedly seized `1.20 crore in unaccounted cash, 500 gm of gold, seven luxury cars worth about `1 crore, 44 laptops, and 71 mobile phones, along with digital evidence of crypto transactions involving about USDT 5000 (`5 lakh) and Canadian $2000 in gift cards.
Trail of collusion
Sources said investigators are examining whether the accused allegedly received local senior police officers’ assistance, enabling them to run the racket from a high-end resort without detection. While no officer has been named so far, the ED is analysing communication logs and money trails to identify potential lapses or collusion.
No official has been named as an accused in either the CBI or ED cases so far. Meanwhile, a senior officer from the director general of police’s office said the CBI had not provided any written communication regarding the involvement of any police officer in the case so far.
Crypto aspect
An ED officer said the focus is now on tracking the movement of the alleged proceeds of crime. “Digital wallets, bank accounts, and cryptocurrency exchanges allegedly used by the accused are being scrutinised. Coordination with foreign agencies has also begun to trace the flow of funds and victim data,” the officer said.
Wider network
Officials suspect that the Igatpuri unit may be part of a larger syndicate. The accused had allegedly operated similar fake call centres earlier in Palghar and Raigad districts. The ED is expected to summon additional individuals and carry out further searches as the probe deepens.
