Ahmedabad, October 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday filed a charge sheet before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ahmedabad in a digital arrest fraud case in which two elderly victims were allegedly cheated of a total of ₹2.95 crore by fraudsters posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and police officers.
The ED’s Ahmedabad Zonal Office initiated the investigation based on multiple FIRs registered by cybercrime police in Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
According to the central agency, the victims were threatened with false arrest and coerced into transferring ₹1.15 crore and ₹1.80 crore, respectively, into mule bank accounts linked to Quality Fruit Traders and Shivam Charitable Trust.
The investigation found that the money was rapidly transferred through more than 50 mule bank accounts before being withdrawn in small amounts at various locations across India and Dubai.
The accounts were also linked to 396 pending cybercrime complaints on the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) portal, suggesting their alleged involvement in cyber fraud cases across the country.
The ED said the proceeds of crime were channelled through multiple routes, including cash withdrawals, angadiya networks and cryptocurrency purchases, allegedly to make the movement of funds more difficult to trace.
Investigators also uncovered the use of a credit card in the alleged money-laundering operation. According to the agency, funds were used to pay insurance premiums through a credit card linked to an insurance agent.
The ED said ₹30 lakh was routed to a credit card issued in the name of a third person but operated by another individual, as per the investigation.
The money received through this arrangement was immediately used to pay premiums for insurance policies belonging to third parties. The agency said this process helped integrate the alleged proceeds of crime into the legitimate financial system.
As part of the investigation, the ED has attached a flat in Surat valued at ₹30 lakh and three fixed deposits worth ₹8 lakh belonging to the accused.
The total value of assets attached in the case stands at ₹38 lakh.
The case highlights the alleged use of multiple financial channels to conceal funds obtained through digital arrest scams. In such frauds, criminals impersonate law enforcement officials and threaten victims with arrest to intimidate them into transferring money.
The ED said further investigation into the case is underway.
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