After nearly two months of investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet in the sensational digital arrest cyber fraud scam, which involved misappropriation of Rs 1,500 crore through cyber fraud and intimidation tactics.
According to the ED, the fraud ring operated by threatening people with “digital arrests” and extracting money from them under duress. The agency has tracked nearly 300 bank accounts linked to the scam. Key masterminds identified in the chargesheet include Chirag Kapoor and Yogesh Dua. The ED has also zeroed in on one of their associated companies.
ED officials said there is a Dubai connection to the case. They said several fake companies and bank accounts were set up, and the documents and SIM cards were being couriered to Dubai. These SIM cards were then activated with international roaming, facilitating the scam across borders. The ED has confiscated properties worth Rs 10 crore belonging to the accused.
Kolkata police had earlier arrested Chirag and Yogesh in connection with this case, following a complaint by a woman from Golf Green, who was duped of Rs 47 lakh.
As part of their investigation since September 28 last year, the Kolkata police have raided multiple locations, recovering 104 passbooks, 61 mobile phones, 33 ATM cards, 140 SIM cards, two QR code machines, 40 rubber stamps and 10 signed contracts.
Eight people have been arrested so far. Chirag was nabbed from Bengaluru, which led to the arrest of Onkar Singh from Delhi. Further investigation brought to light the involvement of Yogesh and another suspect, Aditya Duar. Yogesh was apprehended on February 23.
Although Chirag resided in Kolkata, the gang is learnt to have operated their fraudulent network primarily from Delhi and Bengaluru. Given the magnitude of the scam, the ED later took over the case.
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