HYDERABAD: The Enforcement Directorate has registered a fresh case in connection with irregularities by instant loan app organisers.
The case was registered under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, based on the cases which were earlier registered by the police at Hyderabad, Cyberabad and other police units in Telangana.
It will probe the trail of funds from the accounts of loan app companies to other accounts in India and abroad.
Investigation so far has revealed that the loan app organisers were working at the behest of their handlers based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The handlers were in turn receiving instructions over WhatsApp from China-based operators. Hyderabad city police who had arrested Chinese nationals in connection with the loan app frauds, have already confirmed that around Rs 21,000 crore was diverted to accounts based in China.
It was also found that these apps were operating without complying with RBI norms and charging exorbitant interest up to 50 per cent. They were also collecting charges in the form of GST, processing fees and penalty from customers.
Woman held in Bengaluru in online loan apps cases
The Hyderabad Central Crime Station (CCS) police, who are investigating the online loan apps cases, have reportedly detained a woman in Bengaluru and bringing her to Hyderabad for interrogation.
According to sources, the Central Crime Station police visited Bengaluru as part of their probe into the cases and detained Keerthy, who was handling regular functioning of online apps set up and monitoring a call centre in Bengaluru.
Keerthy reportedly hired employees for call centre and the staff indulged in harassing customers after sanctioning loans to them through apps.
The CCS police have so far arrested a total 17 persons, including some Chinese nationals, for their involvement in duping customers.