Enforcement Directorate arrests suspect in Rs 7 crore digital arrest scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Sohel Akhtar, also known as Raju, in connection with a ‘digital arrest’ scam that extorted Rs 7 crore from a resident of Ludhiana, Punjab. The gang allegedly impersonated officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and members of the judiciary to threaten the victim.

Akhtar was apprehended by the ED’s Jalandhar Zonal Office following search operations in West Bengal. He is the third individual arrested in this specific case, following Rumi Kalita and Arpit Rathore. Investigators found that the stolen funds were routed through bank accounts belonging to companies such as Rigglo Ventures Private Limited and Frozenman Warehousing and Logistics, utilizing an application named ‘AMMFORWARD’ for rapid transfers.

The investigation, initiated following an FIR by the Ludhiana Cyber Crime Police Station, has expanded to include nine additional FIRs involving similar digital arrest tactics used by the same group.