New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday said that it has arrested one Anas Ahmed in connection with a prevention of money laundering case of Rs 84 crore.
The accused has alleged links with Chinese people and he allegedly committed fraud through Powerbank and other such fraud mobile applications.
The ED official said that presently, Anas Ahmed is in judicial custody and lodged in Puzhal Central Prison, Chennai, in the predicate offence booked by CB, CID, Chennai.
"On Thursday we got six days custody of Anas from the Hon'ble Principal City Civil & Sessions and Special Judge for PMLA Cases, Bengaluru. We have to record his statement, we will also confront him with documentary evidences," said an ED official.
The ED official said that they initiated money laundering investigation into the operations of entities of the accused. They allegedly induced people to invest certain amount of money through Powerbank and other such fraudulent apps by assuring to remit interest on daily or weekly basis on the investment made.
The accused entities closed their purported business after collecting huge sum of money from innocent people and went incommunicado.
"The accused entities neither paid interest nor returned the principal amount to anyone and withheld the investment made by public which has resulted in commission of cheating," said the ED official.
Anas Ahmed is a partner in two accused firms namely H&S Ventures Inc and Clifford Ventures.
The ED official said these two partnership firms are responsible for cheating people to the tune of Rs 84 crore.
"Anas Ahmed has Chinese links and is suspected of being the mastermind of the whole racket. He indulged into corrupt and illegal activities through his partnership firms by deviating from the declared line of business/activity of gaming and has collected money from public under the guise of investment schemes through fraudulent apps," said the official.
The ED learnt that the proceeds generated through criminal activities have been layered through a number of shell entities to remit out of India and also invest in crypto currencies.