ED slaps PMLA in 1,500-crore digi-arrest fraud run from Dubai
Times of India | 3 June 2025
Kolkata: In its first such charge sheet in Kolkata, the Enforcement Directorate on Monday slapped money laundering charges under PMLA 2002, accusing two digital fraud scammers for pulling off Rs 1,500 crore digital arrest and using a maze of 300 bank accounts to launder their ill-gotten money. These scammers had targeted 930 people across India with digital arrest, including several from Kolkata.The ED, which started the case based on an FIR registered by Kolkata Police in 2023, took in their custody two masterminds — Yogesh Dua, a resident of Delhi, and Chirag Kapoor alias Chintak Raj, a resident of Bengaluru. Both have been implicated in the ED PMLA charge sheet filed on Monday. In the charge sheet, the agency named 10 more people, including Aditya Dua, brother of Yogesh Dua, and a firm. The agency has so far attached properties worth Rs 10 crore in the case.ED counsel Arijit Chakraborti said the charge sheet was filed on the 58th day since they got the duo's remand on April 5.The ED alleged on Monday that the racket operating the digital arrest fraud from Dubai used nearly 300 bank accounts to launder the ill-gotten money. They used mule accounts in the names of various persons, who lent these accounts for a hefty commission from the money extorted through cyber frauds. None of these accounts were used on a prolonged basis to avoid the radar of any investigation agency.Agency officials found that these bank accounts were used and controlled by the members of the core group of the racket. The moment a person was defrauded, the funds were immediately transferred to multiple accounts to layer and conceal the money trail. Investigators believe that the entire racket behind the digital arrest was run from Dubai. SIM cards were issued from Kolkata and first activated with international roaming. Then, the SIM cards were sent to specific users in Dubai. The agency traced nearly 350 such SIM cards, which were used to defraud people and stash money outside India.The fraudsters would then call people posing as law enforcement officers, police, or CBI, and extorted money. They trapped victims by isolating them under the pretext of "self-custody".They contacted the victims via phone and WhatsApp, falsely accused them of being involved in money laundering activities, and threatened them with arrest and asset seizure. They also created fraudulent documents like forged letters with the logos of the courts, RBI, Customs and CBI.