Chennai: Following the recent arrests of four individuals from Pallipattu town in Tiruvallur district for their involvement in cyber fraud, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has revealed that the accused individuals, Tamilarasan Kuppan (29), Prakash (26), Aravindan (23), and Ajith (28), set up shell companies and opened bank accounts to launder money obtained through various cyber fraud schemes. The ED conducted searches in Tiruvallur related to a suspicious bank account transaction amounting to 2.6 crore, leading to the arrest of the four suspects. The Bengaluru court handling ED cases has granted the agency four days of custody for the accused. The group was linked to a WhatsApp group comprising Chinese scammers, who directed them to help launder funds earned from cyber fraud activities through shell companies. Tamilarasan, along with Ajith, Prakash, and Aravindan, operated a scheme to assist cyber fraudsters in creating fake directors, addresses, and documents for shell companies. These companies were used to open bank accounts for the laundering of illegally obtained funds. Notably, an account containing 2.8 crore under a shell company named Cyberforest Technology Private Limited in Bandhan Bank was frozen by the agency. This case involves a scam where Chinese fraudsters posed as government agencies to cheat a businessman in Jaipur out of 2.6 crore. This incident was reported to Jaipur cybercrime police in early September. The ED intervened in the investigation after receiving numerous FIRs from different states across India, ultimately tracing the fraudulent transaction back to Tiruvallur. Previously, the ED had apprehended four individuals (Shashi Kumar M, Sachin M, Kiran S K, and Charan Raj) in August in Bengaluru. As part of their operations, the ED has conducted 17 searches and seized various incriminating evidence, including mobile phones and other digital materials.Electronic devices. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has identified proceeds of over 28 crore from cyber scams under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. Following the arrest of four individuals from Pallipattu town in Tiruvallur district for their involvement in cyber fraud, the ED revealed that the accused, Tamilarasan Kuppan, Prakash, Aravindan, and Ajith, set up shell companies and bank accounts to launder proceeds from various cyber frauds. Searches carried out in Tiruvallur led to the arrest of the individuals after a transaction of 2.6 crore through a suspicious bank account was identified. The accused have been granted four-day custody by the Bengaluru court for ED cases. These individuals were part of a WhatsApp group involved in money laundering at the request of Chinese scammers, and they facilitated the laundering of proceeds from cyber frauds through shell companies by providing dummy directors and address details. One of the frozen accounts belonged to a shell company named Cyberforest Technology Private Limited, where 2.8 crore was deposited. The case involves cheating a businessman in Jaipur of 2.6 crore by individuals posing as government agencies. The Jaipur cybercrime police had registered a case, and the ED took over the investigation following multiple FIRs from state police across the country. Previous arrests related to the case were made in Bengaluru.Up to this point, 17 searches have been carried out and incriminating evidence has been confiscated, which includes mobile phones and various digital devices. The ongoing investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 has revealed proceeds totaling over 28 crore originating from cyber scams.