PANAJI
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Goa has arrested an RTGS agent for allegedly facilitating the laundering of cyber fraud proceeds in a network linked to over Rs 417 crore in reported losses across more than 20 States and Union Territories.
The accused, identified as Mukesh Kumar Pukhraj Jain alias Mukesh Bhai, has been arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the ‘digital arrest’ cyber fraud that saw a Goa resident allegedly cheated of around Rs 2.6 crore. He is the sixth person arrested in the case.
The investigation began following an FIR registered by the Cyber Crime Police Station, North Goa. As per the FIR, the victim was allegedly kept on a video call, made to believe she was under criminal investigation and coerced into transferring around Rs 2.6 crore into bank accounts falsely described as “Secret Supervision Accounts”.
The ED said its investigation revealed that the money was routed through a network of companies created to receive proceeds of cyber fraud through bank transfers, convert the funds into cash and subsequently into foreign currency.
Jain allegedly worked as an RTGS agent for the network, arranging bank credits into its accounts through brokers in return for cash payments from those controlling the network, while retaining a commission.
The ED said that Jain admitted he knew the money being handled through the chain came from cyber frauds, including digital arrest scams. The agency further alleged that Jain destroyed records and mobile phones containing evidence of the business after ED searches. He also failed to appear on the date fixed for recording his statement and gave evasive replies when he subsequently appeared, the ED said.
