In a major crackdown against cross-border cyber fraud, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has dismantled an elaborate illegal call center syndicate that systematically siphoned off hundreds of crores of rupees from unsuspecting United States citizens. Investigators have arrested four key operatives—Harshil Nayanbhai Rawal, Jaswant Singh, Chetan Munjal, and Pranav Pithadiya—under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The accused were produced before the Special PMLA Court in Nampally, Hyderabad, which remanded them to judicial custody.
With three co-conspirators—Vikas Nimar, Tarachand Nimar, and Mohammad Irfan Ansari—arrested earlier in the same probe, the total number of arrests in this sprawling network has climbed to seven.
Modus Operandi: From Hyderabad to Patiala
The syndicate’s origins trace back to Hyderabad, where prime accused Harshil Rawal established a sophisticated fake call center targeting American residents. When local law enforcement raided their Madhapur premises three years ago, the syndicate went underground, relocating core operations north to Patiala, Punjab, to evade surveillance. Despite the shift in geography, the financial trail remained anchored to their initial operations. Tracking the money, ED investigators tracked down Rawal, Pithadiya, and Munjal in Patiala, executing their arrests before bringing them back to Hyderabad on transit remand.
Interrogations and technical forensics revealed that the syndicate targeted thousands of victims across the US using classic tech-support, tax-impersonation, and identity-theft scripts. The stolen funds were funneled through hundreds of mule bank accounts to obscure the paper trail. Victims were frequently coerced into transferring funds via cryptocurrencies, which were subsequently converted into untraceable cash through informal hawala networks.
Rs 261 Crore Siphoned in 15 Months
The ED initiated its money laundering investigation using initial FIRs registered by the Madhapur police. Digital evidence, particularly recovered encrypted WhatsApp communications, exposed the vast financial scale of the operation. Between July 2025 and September 2026 alone, the network extracted approximately $27.39 million (around ₹261 crore) directly from US victims.
Global Laundering Route
The defrauded US funds were layered through corporate accounts registered in global financial transit hubs, primarily Hong Kong and Dubai. The layered capital was converted back into Indian Rupees using a multi-pronged mechanism involving crypto currency liquidations, hawala conduits, and traditional angadia (courier) networks. Investigators are currently analyzing seized digital storage devices, foreign bank transaction logs, and hardware wallets to identify overseas associates and trace any remaining proceeds of crime parked in international jurisdictions.