Chennai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced on Saturday that four young men from Pallipattu town in Tiruvallur district have been arrested for their involvement in cyber fraud. The accused individuals, Tamilarasan Kuppan (29), Prakash (26), Aravindan (23), and Ajith (28), are said to have established shell companies and set up bank accounts to launder the proceeds of cyber fraud activities. Following a transaction of 2.6 crore through a suspicious bank account in Tiruvallur, the ED conducted searches and arrested the suspects, who have been granted four-day custody by the Bengaluru court for ED cases.

According to the investigation agency, the accused were part of a WhatsApp group involving Chinese scammers and assisted in laundering money derived from cyber frauds through shell companies. Tamilarasan, in collaboration with Ajith, Prakash, and Aravindan, operated a syndicate that helped cyber fraudsters with setting up dummy directors, addresses, and documents for shell companies. They also facilitated the opening of bank accounts for laundering the illicit funds obtained from cyber fraud.

The ED froze an account belonging to a shell company named Cyberforest Technology Private Limited in Bandhan Bank, which had a deposit of 2.8 crore. This case is linked to a scam where Chinese fraudsters impersonated various central government agencies to cheat a businessman in Jaipur of 2.6 crore. In early September, the Jaipur cybercrime police registered a case, which the ED took up for investigation based on FIRs from different state police forces across the country. Prior to this case, the ED had arrested Shashi Kumar M, Sachin M, Kiran S K, and Charan Raj in Bengaluru. The agency has conducted 17 searches and seized evidence, including mobile phones and digital devices.Digital devices. Investigation conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 has detected proceeds exceeding 28 crore arising from online scams. Following the arrest of four young individuals from Pallipattu town in Tiruvallur district for their involvement in cyber fraud, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced that the accused, namely Tamilarasan Kuppan, Prakash, Aravindan, and Ajith, aged 29, 26, 23, and 28 respectively, established shell companies and bank accounts to wash the funds generated from various cyber fraudulent activities. The ED team in Tiruvallur conducted searches related to a suspicious 2.6 crore transaction through a bank account, leading to the apprehension of the suspects. A Bengaluru court handling ED cases granted a four-day custody of the accused to the investigative agency. Allegedly, the group collaborated with Chinese scammers via a WhatsApp group to aid in laundering money from cyber crimes through shell companies. The gang, primarily led by Tamilarasan with the assistance of Ajith, Prakash, and Aravindan, facilitated in providing dummy directors, addresses, and documentation for shell companies. The ED seized a bank account with a 2.8 crore deposit linked to a shell firm called Cyberforest Technology Private Limited in Bandhan Bank. The case involves a scam where Chinese fraudsters swindled a Jaipur entrepreneur for 2.6 crore by impersonating various central government agencies. Previously, ED had apprehended Shashi Kumar M, Sachin M, Kiran S K, and Charan Raj in Bengaluru, furthering their investigation in August.Up to now, 17 searches have been carried out, resulting in the seizure of evidence such as mobile phones and digital devices. The investigation under PMLA, 2002 has revealed proceeds exceeding 28 crore derived from cyber scams.