Daijiworld Media Network - Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, May 9: Ahmedabad Police have dismantled an alleged illegal international call centre operating from a rented apartment in the city’s Naroda locality, uncovering a cyber fraud racket that reportedly targeted citizens in the United States through fake loan offers.
The operation came to light on Thursday after Naroda police received specific inputs while conducting routine surveillance near Karaikat Cross Roads. Acting on the intelligence, a police team headed by Sub-Inspector V.R. Chaudhary carried out a raid at Flat No. 607 of the Aatrey Ivaan-3 residential complex under the supervision of senior officials and in the presence of independent witnesses.
According to investigators, officers initially found Krunal Chawla at the premises before discovering a group of five individuals allegedly running a sophisticated call centre setup. The apartment was equipped with laptops, mobile phones, headphones and other digital equipment commonly used in customer support operations.
Police said the accused allegedly posed as representatives of a bogus financial services company named “Advance America” and contacted residents in the United States using illegally sourced databases containing personal contact information. Victims were reportedly informed that their loans had been approved and were then convinced to submit confidential details such as Social Security Numbers.
After gaining the victims’ trust, the suspects allegedly demanded advance processing charges for loan disbursement. These payments were reportedly collected through gift cards and later converted into cash in India through intermediaries.
The accused have been identified as Manish Jagdishkumar (25), Jayesh Makwana (30), Krunal Chawla (25), and Dinesh Kalyani (33), along with a juvenile. Police have also named Mayur Manglani, Sujul Manglani and Ashish, also known as Kevin, as suspected associates who allegedly helped channel and convert the money generated through the fraud.
During the search operation, authorities seized five laptops, 10 mobile phones, four headsets, a keyboard, three computer mice, printed scripts and fake company letterheads believed to have been used to deceive victims. The total value of the recovered items is estimated at approximately Rs 2.17 lakh.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-4) Atul Kumar Bansal stated that Manish is believed to be the key mastermind behind the operation. Police investigations revealed that he had previously operated similar illegal call centres in Kerala and Goa before relocating the network to Ahmedabad.
Officials are now examining the total scale of the alleged fraud and checking whether the accused are linked to cases registered in other states. Police confirmed that no previous cases against the group had been recorded in Gujarat.
Investigators further stated that the residential apartment had been deliberately designed to resemble a professional international support centre. The suspects allegedly relied on pre-written scripts and forged documents to make their interactions appear genuine and trustworthy.
A formal case has been registered at Naroda Police Station under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy, along with provisions of the Information Technology Act related to cyber fraud and identity theft. Authorities are continuing their investigation to identify additional members of the network and trace the movement of funds linked to the scam.