FOUR ACCUSED PERSONS ARRESTED FROM DIFFERENT STATES OF THE COUNTRY

Face2News/Chandigarh

In December 2022, the FBI Office of the Legal Attaché, New Delhi and Delhi Police collaborated to affect the arrest of four subjects, which was part of an international operation resulting in simultaneous arrests and searches of call center fraud subjects in the US, Canada and India.

After the arrests in Delhi, concerned Chief Metropolitan Magistrate ordered to return the cheated amount to all those victims who have lodged their complaints with FBI and Delhi Police.
From the last few days, information was being received at IFSO, Special Cell through secret informers and also from FBI through Interpol that some international cyber criminals in conspiracy with each other and with the aid and assistance of co-conspirators based in India, USA and Uganda are running call centres by posing as employees of US Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, Drug Enforcement Administration and other US Agencies.
Further, one accused Parth Armarkar impersonated as a specific, living person by the name of Uttam Dhillon. During his career, the real Uttam Dhillon served as the Acting Administrator of the US Drug Enforcement Administration and as the Director of INTERPOL Washington.
Accused Parth Armarkar defrauded victims of over 6 million USD through call centers operating in Uganda, Africa. He is an Indian national and visits India occasionally.

FBI and Delhi Police shared technical evidence and information on Armarkar, which led Delhi Police to identify his whereabouts in Ahmedabad, Gujarat from where he was running part of the criminal activities. He was operating his criminal activities mainly out of Uganda. However, he also ran some part of his activities from different jurisdictions of India in assistance with his international coconspirators.

Subsequently, a case vide FIR No 153/23 u/s 419/420/384/120B/34 IPC & 66C,66D IT Act was lodged at PS Special Cell and investigation was taken up and the whereabouts of Parth Armarkar were traced with the help of special technical means.

OPERATION AND ARREST: Keeping in view the gravity of offences, several teams comprising staff of IFSO and Counter Intelligence/Special Cell were formed to develop information and Parth Armarkar was arrested from Ahmedabad during the course of investigation. In further development of investigation about the crime syndicate, his crime boss Vatsal Mehta who was on the run, was also hotly pursued and arrested. 

Mr. H.G.S.Dhaliwal, IPS, Special Commissioner of Police, said, during further investigation, two more accused namely Deepak Arora and Prashant Kumar, who are main coconspirators and trying to hide were tracked and apprehended from Uttarakhand and were subsequently arrested in the case. They were on radar of FBI since long.As part of coordinated action, FBI has interviewed over 50 victims so far and also collected evidence of fraud of more than 20 million USD which will be produced in court as per procedure. Two victims of USA have also been examined through Video Calling by IFSO so far.

Mr. H.G.S.Dhaliwal, IPS, Special Commissioner of Police, said, during further investigation, two more accused namely Deepak Arora and Prashant Kumar, who are main coconspirators and trying to hide were tracked and apprehended from Uttarakhand and were subsequently arrested in the case. They were on radar of FBI since long.

As part of coordinated action, FBI has interviewed over 50 victims so far and also collected evidence of fraud of more than 20 million USD which will be produced in court as per procedure. Two victims of USA have also been examined through Video Calling by IFSO so far.

PROFILE OF ACCUSED PERSONS :  Parth Armarkar @ Uttam Dhillon s/o Suresh Armarkar r/o South Bopal, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Age 28 Yrs. He was the team leader of call center running in Uganda and was also calling the victims from Ahmedabad., Vatsal Mehta s/o Jigar Bhai r/o Ghodasar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Age 29 Yrs. He is the CRIME SYDINCATE HEAD, who supervised the call center running from Uganda and was also calling from DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS in India.,  Deepak Arora s/o Late Sh. Chandra Mohan Arora r/o Janakpuri, Delhi, Age 45 Yrs. He was the “blocker” for Vatsal Mehta and other call centre in Delhi. Prashant Kumar s/o Arun Kumar r/o Mahaveer Enclave Part -1, Dabri, Delhi, Age 45 yrs. He was providing “runners” in USA and was also a blocker with Deepak Arora on commission basis.

Above mentioned accused were arrested on 17/06/2023 and were produced in Patiala House Court and have been taken for 05 days Police Custody remand for further interrogation and investigation.