Chennai: Following the arrest of four young individuals from Pallipattu town in the Tiruvallur district for their involvement in cyber fraud, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) revealed on Saturday that the accused individuals Tamilarasan Kuppan, aged 29, Prakash, aged 26, Aravindan, aged 23, and Ajith, aged 28, established shell companies and set up bank accounts to launder money obtained from various cyber fraud activities.
After conducting searches in Tiruvallur related to a suspicious bank account transaction of 2.6 crore, the ED arrested the four individuals. The Bengaluru court handling ED cases granted the investigation agency a four-day custody of the accused.
The group was connected to a WhatsApp group comprising Chinese scammers, who instructed them to launder money earned from cyber fraud through shell companies. "Tamilarasan, along with Ajith, Prakash, and Aravindan, operated a network to help cyber fraudsters in setting up phony directors, addresses, and documents for shell companies. They liaised with bank staff to open accounts through which funds from cyber fraud activities were laundered," a source revealed.
The agency froze an account holding 2.8 crore in the name of a shell company named Cyberforest Technology Private Limited at Bandhan Bank. The case involves the defrauding of a businessman in Jaipur of 2.6 crore by Chinese scammers posing as various central government agencies. The Jaipur cybercrime police initiated a case in early September. ED took on the investigation based on multiple FIRs filed by state police across the country and traced the transaction to Tiruvallur. Previously, the ED had arrested Shashi Kumar M, Sachin M, Kiran S K, and Charan Raj in August in Bengaluru. The agency has carried out 17 searches and seized incriminating materials including mobile phones and other digital devices.Electronic devices. Investigation conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 has so far revealed that proceeds of over 28 crore have been generated from cyber scams. In Chennai, a day after 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, identified as Tamilarasan Kuppan (29), Prakash (26), Aravindan (23), and Ajith (28), had set up shell companies and opened bank accounts to launder the illicit funds obtained through various cyber fraud activities.
Following searches conducted by ED officials in Tiruvallur relating to a suspicious transaction of 2.6 crore through a bank account, the four individuals were apprehended. Subsequently, the Bengaluru court overseeing ED cases granted the agency a four-day custody of the accused. Investigations revealed that the gang was affiliated with a WhatsApp group comprising Chinese scammers who would direct them to launder money acquired from cyber fraud through the shell companies. Tamilarasan, along with Ajith, Prakash, and Aravindan, facilitated the cyber fraudsters by providing dummy directors, addresses, and documentation for the shell companies. They also liaised with bank personnel to set up accounts through which the proceeds of crime from cyber fraud were filtered.
Notably, the agency froze an account containing 2.8 crore under the name of a shell company called Cyberforest Technology Private Limited in Bandhan Bank. This particular case involved the fraudulent act of deceiving a businessman in Jaipur for 2.6 crore by individuals posing as officials from various central government agencies. Following the registration of a case by the cybercrime police in Jaipur, ED took over the investigation in connection to multiple FIRs filed by state police across India, ultimately tracing the transaction to Tiruvallur. Prior to this, the ED had also arrested four individuals - Shashi Kumar M, Sachin M, Kiran S K, and Charan Raj - in August in Bengaluru as part of the ongoing operation.Up to now, 17 searches have been carried out and incriminating material such as mobile phones and other digital devices have been confiscated. The investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 has revealed proceeds exceeding 28 crore gained from cyber scams.
