Surat, Oct 10 (IANS) In a major crackdown on cyber-enabled financial crimes, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Surat sub-zonal office, has arrested four individuals in connection with a sprawling money laundering investigation linked to cyber frauds exceeding Rs 100 crore.

The arrested accused are Makbul Abdul Rehman Doctor, Kaashif Makbul Doctor, Mahesh Mafatlal Desai, and Om Rajendra Pandya.

They were taken into custody under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The ED’s probe stems from an FIR registered by the Special Operation Group of Surat Police, under various sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023.

The FIR named Makbul Doctor and others for orchestrating a series of cyber frauds targeting unsuspecting citizens.

According to the ED, the accused, including Makbul Doctor’s sons Kaashif and Bassam, devised elaborate schemes involving digital arrests, fake forex trading platforms, and intimidation tactics using forged notices purportedly from prestigious institutions like the Supreme Court of India and the Enforcement Directorate itself.

These tactics were used to extort money from victims and funnel the proceeds into a complex laundering network. Investigators revealed that the accused opened multiple bank accounts in the names of employees, associates, and hired individuals to collect and conceal the illicit funds.

To operate these accounts, they procured pre-activated SIM cards using similar fraudulent methods. The laundered money was then converted into cryptocurrency, specifically USDT (Tether), and routed through hawala operators to bypass regulatory oversight.

The four arrested individuals were presented before the Special Court (PMLA) in Ahmedabad, which granted five days of ED custody for further questioning and evidence gathering.

The Enforcement Directorate has confirmed that the investigation is on-going and more arrests and asset seizures may follow. The case underscores the growing nexus between cybercrime and financial laundering, and the ED’s intensified efforts to dismantle such networks.

This development marks a significant step in India’s fight against digital financial fraud and reinforces the importance of vigilance in the face of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

–IANS

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