The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested four men in Gujarat for their alleged involvement in a Rs 100-crore cyber fraud using fake summons, digital arrests, and cryptocurrency-based money laundering.
Details of the Arrests
The accused are:
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Makbul Abdul Rehman Doctor
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Kaashif Makbul Doctor (son)
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Mahesh Mafatlal Desai
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Om Rajendra Pandya
They were arrested under Section 19 of the PMLA, 2002, in connection with multiple cybercrime cases involving proceeds of crime exceeding Rs 100 crore.
Modus Operandi
The accused allegedly:
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Defrauded citizens through digital arrests, forex trading scams, and fake legal notices purportedly from law enforcement agencies like the Supreme Court of India and the ED
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Opened bank accounts in the names of associates or hired persons to collect illicit funds
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Used pre-activated SIM cards to operate these accounts
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Laundered funds via cryptocurrency (USDT) and Hawala operators to evade detection
The ED has recently introduced QR-coded summons and two-step verification to curb the rising trend of fake summons.
Legal Proceedings
The four accused were produced before the Special Court (PMLA), Ahmedabad, which granted five days of ED custody for further investigation.
Ongoing Investigation
Authorities continue to probe the network of accomplices and track the flow of illicit funds both in India and abroad, aiming to dismantle the cybercrime and money laundering syndicate.
Conclusion:
The Gujarat cyber scam arrests highlight the ED’s crackdown on large-scale digital fraud and cryptocurrency laundering, signaling stricter scrutiny and enforcement in India’s cybercrime sector.
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