NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached properties worth Rs 187.13 crore in a major money laundering case linked to an international cyber fraud syndicate that allegedly duped US citizens of millions of dollars through fake technical support calls, the agency said on Saturday.
The federal probing agency attached the assets under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and it covers luxury farmhouses, villas and other immovable properties in Haryana, Delhi and Goa.
The money laundering case is based on an FIR registered by the CBI based on information shared by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The accused have been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, for allegedly operating illegal call centres that targeted American citizens.
According to the ED officials, the accused operated an illegal call centre named "Digikaps – the Future of Digital", employing around 36 people. The agency said the operation was supervised by Joney, Dakshay Sethi and Gaurav Verma, while employees including Jiger Ahmed, Yash Khurana, Inderjeet Singh Bhali and Nikhil Sharma allegedly contacted victims posing as technical support executives.
The ED officials alleged that the callers stole sensitive personal information and intimidated victims by falsely claiming they faced action from the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The victims were then persuaded to transfer money into cryptocurrency wallets controlled by the syndicate. The ED said the illicit funds were routed through shell entities, including Bliss Infraproperties LLP, before being invested in high-value real estate for personal gains.
Earlier this year, in January and February, the federal probing agency carried out searches at 13 locations across Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. During the raids, they recovered digital devices, seized Rs 34 lakh cash and collected documents allegedly linking the accused to high-value investments and acquisition of properties in India and abroad.
The investigation further revealed that the proceeds of crime were diverted into real estate investments and based on these findings, the ED attached properties worth Rs 187.13 crore under the PMLA. The agency said further investigation is underway.