In Chennai, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced on Saturday that four individuals from Pallipattu town in Tiruvallur district have been arrested for their involvement in cyber fraud. Identified as Tamilarasan Kuppan, Prakash, Aravindan, and Ajith, these individuals used shell companies and bank accounts to launder money from various cyber fraud activities. The ED conducted searches in Tiruvallur following a transaction of 2.6 crore rupees through a suspicious bank account, leading to the arrest of the four men. The accused have been granted four-day custody by a Bengaluru court. Acting on behalf of Chinese scammers, the gang assisted in setting up shell companies to facilitate the laundering of proceeds from cyber frauds. The ED froze an account containing 2.8 crore rupees under the name of a shell company called Cyberforest Technology Private Limited at Bandhan Bank. This case involves the defrauding of a businessman in Jaipur by Chinese fraudsters posing as government agencies, with the Jaipur cybercrime police initiating a case in early September. The ED's investigation into this matter was prompted by multiple FIRs filed by state police across the country, ultimately tracing the transactions to Tiruvallur. Prior to this, the ED had previously arrested Shashi Kumar M, Sachin M, Kiran S K, and Charan Raj in Bengaluru. The agency has conducted 17 searches and seized incriminating materials such as mobile phones as part of their ongoing investigations.Electronic devices. An investigation conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 has revealed over 28 crore in illicit proceeds from cyber scams. Following the arrest of four individuals from Pallipattu town in Tiruvallur district for their involvement in cyber fraud, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced that the accused Tamilarasan Kuppan, Prakash, Aravindan, and Ajith set up shell companies and opened bank accounts to launder money obtained through various cyber fraud schemes. The ED, after conducting searches in Tiruvallur related to a suspicious 2.6 crore transaction through a bank account, apprehended the four men. Subsequently, the Bengaluru court granted the investigation agency custody of the accused for four days.

The group, linked to Chinese scammers through a WhatsApp group, collaborated to launder money earned from cyber frauds via shell companies. The ring led by Tamilarasan, with support from Ajith, Prakash, and Aravindan, facilitated cyber fraudsters by providing dummy directors, addresses, and documentation for these shell companies. They interacted with bank staff to open accounts for laundering the profits from cyber scams. The authorities froze an account containing 2.8 crore belonging to Cyberforest Technology Private Limited in Bandhan Bank. This particular incident involved the fraudulent activities carried out by Chinese scammers impersonating government agencies resulting in a businessman from Jaipur being cheated of 2.6 crore. The Jaipur cybercrime police registered a case in early September, which led ED to take up the investigation after tracing the transaction back to Tiruvallur. Previously, the agency had also detained four individuals in Bengaluru named Shashi Kumar M, Sachin M, Kiran S K, and Charan Raj in August.Up to now, the authorities have carried out 17 searches and confiscated evidence such as mobile phones and digital devices. The ongoing investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 has revealed illicit gains exceeding 28 crore from cyber scams.