Pune Rural Police have arrested 20 people after busting an alleged illegal call centre operating from a rented villa in Lonavala and targeting citizens in the United States, Canada and other countries through impersonation and financial fraud. The operation was conducted at Dev Villa in Omega Society, in the Nangargaon area of Lonavala.
Police seized laptops, mobile phones, vehicles and cash with a combined value of Rs 36.41 lakh during the operation. According to investigators, the accused jointly rented the villa and used internet-based applications on laptops and mobile phones to contact overseas citizens.
The suspects allegedly posed as representatives of reputed companies, including Amazon and Google. Police said the group prepared fake documents and identity cards bearing the names of these companies and used them while communicating with potential victims.
Investigators said the accused lured people with different schemes and obtained their personal and bank account details. Police also suspect that the group used threats to extract money. In some cases, victims were allegedly told that narcotics had been found in parcels sent to them and were then pressured to make payments.
The police said the accused also allegedly collected credit card and ATM card details, which were then used for financial fraud. The operation’s suspected proceeds were allegedly converted into Indian currency through hawala channels and cryptocurrency before being used for the group’s financial benefit.
The investigation has identified Irfan Abdul Gafur Shaikh as the alleged owner and suspected mastermind of the call centre. Mohammed Faiz, also known as Nazish Arif Shaikh, allegedly assisted him in running the operation, according to the police.
Most of the arrested people are aged between 19 and 26. Police said most of them are residents of Malvani in Mumbai’s Malad area, while three are from Badlapur in Thane district. The case has been registered at Lonavala City police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to cheating, forgery, extortion and other offences, along with provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Indian Telegraph Act.
The case is being investigated by police inspector Mahesh Vidhate. Investigators are examining the seized electronic devices, the alleged financial transfers and the identities of people who may have been contacted by the operation.
