Chennai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced on Saturday the arrest of four individuals from Pallipattu town in Tiruvallur district for their involvement in cyber fraud. The accused, identified as Tamilarasan Kuppan (29), Prakash (26), Aravindan (23), and Ajith (28), were found to have set up shell companies and opened bank accounts to facilitate the laundering of illicit funds obtained from various cyber fraud schemes. Following a probe, ED carried out searches in Tiruvallur related to a suspicious bank account transaction amounting to 2.6 crore and subsequently apprehended the four suspects. The Bengaluru court handling ED cases granted the agency a four-day custody of the accused. The investigation revealed that the group, connected through a WhatsApp group with Chinese scammers, aided in the laundering of money acquired through cyber fraud by operating shell companies. The key players, Tamilarasan, Ajith, Prakash, and Aravindan, were instrumental in providing false directors, addresses, and documentation for the shell companies, as well as coordinating with bank personnel to open accounts for the illicit funds. Notably, the agency seized an account holding 2.8 crore in the name of a shell company called Cyberforest Technology Private Limited at Bandhan Bank. The fraud case involved duping a businessman in Jaipur of 2.6 crore by Chinese scammers posing as government officials, prompting the Jaipur cybercrime police to register a case in early September. ED's investigation into this matter stemmed from multiple FIRs filed by state police across the country, eventually tracing the fraudulent transaction to Tiruvallur. Earlier in August, ED had arrested four individuals in Bengaluru - Shashi Kumar M, Sachin M, Kiran S K, and Charan Raj - as part of the same investigation, conducting a total of 17 searches and seizing incriminating evidence such as mobile phones and digital records.Electronic devices. Under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, more than 28 crore in proceeds from cyber scams has been identified. 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 individuals, Tamilarasan Kuppan, Prakash, Aravindan, and Ajith, had set up shell companies and bank accounts to funnel proceeds from various cyber frauds.

After conducting searches in Tiruvallur related to a suspicious 2.6 crore transaction, the ED arrested the four men. The Bengaluru court handling ED cases granted a four-day custody of the accused to the investigation agency. The group was linked to Chinese scammers through a WhatsApp group, collaborating to launder money obtained from cyber frauds via shell companies. The individuals facilitated the creation of dummy directors, addresses, and documentation for these companies, as well as opened bank accounts to launder the ill-gotten funds.

The ED froze an account holding 2.8 crore under the shell company Cyberforest Technology Private Limited in Bandhan Bank. This case involved the deceit of a Jaipur businessman for 2.6 crore by Chinese scammers impersonating various central government agencies. The investigation stemmed from multiple FIRs filed by state police across the country, leading to the tracing of the transaction to Tiruvallur. Prior to this, the ED had apprehended Shashi Kumar M, Sachin M, Kiran S K, and Charan Raj in Bengaluru 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 ongoing investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 has uncovered proceeds exceeding 28 crore from cyber scams.