ED conducts searches at eight sites; Mohali sector 108 premises linked to alleged fake call‑centre fraud

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted searches at eight locations across India in a probe into an alleged fake call‑centre fraud and associated money‑laundering, with one key premises reportedly located at Plot No. 29, Emaar, Sector 108, Mohali, according to officials familiar with the case.

Scope of searches and seizures

ED teams from the Chandigarh Zonal Office carried out searches at properties linked to Vijay Raj Kapuria, Varinder Raj, M/s Infimum Enterprises LLP and other persons and entities said to be connected with the operation. The searches covered sites in Chandigarh, Mohali and Madhya Pradesh.

Investigators recovered about ₹20 lakh in cash and seized multiple digital devices and other material during the raids, the officials said. The ED has taken custody of the material as it seeks to reconstruct the alleged financial trail.

Origin of the probe

The agency said the present action stems from an FIR registered at Sohana police station, Mohali, and the subsequent charge sheet filed by Punjab Police. The criminal case, according to investigators, involves an alleged illegal call‑centre operation that targeted foreign nationals and generated proceeds through deceptive means.

Sources indicated the Mohali office in Sector 108 was being used as one of the operational sites for the purported call‑centre scam. The ED is examining whether revenue from the alleged fraud was laundered through a network of domestic and international conduits.

Alleged financial routes and complexity

Preliminary findings in the ED probe suggest the suspected proceeds were moved through multiple channels, including PayPal, Stripe, conventional banking, transactions in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and informal hawala networks. Investigators are also scrutinising transfers to accounts of firms that appear to be shell or nominee entities in the United States.

According to the enquiry so far, the bank account of M/s Infimum Enterprises LLP reportedly received funds from several foreign entities that are under suspicion of acting as shell companies. The ED is analysing banking records, electronic payment histories and blockchain data where available to trace the ultimate beneficiaries.

Investigation focus and next steps

Officials said the agency is collecting financial documents, mobile and computer evidence, and other records to establish the movement of funds and identify persons who may have played a role in layering and integration — the stages commonly used in money‑laundering operations.

• Locations searched: Chandigarh, Mohali (Sector 108), and sites in Madhya Pradesh
• Principal entities named in reports: Vijay Raj Kapuria, Varinder Raj, M/s Infimum Enterprises LLP
• Seizures made: approximately ₹20 lakh in cash, digital devices and related material
• Alleged payment channels under probe: PayPal, Stripe, banking transfers, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, hawala

Investigators said the cross‑border element — with funds routed to accounts linked to US‑based entities — has complicated efforts to pinpoint the end recipients of the alleged proceeds. The ED is coordinating the forensic examination of digital devices and payment records to map the network.

Why the case matters locally

The action has drawn attention in Mohali and neighbouring Chandigarh because it alleges an organised fraud operation functioning from a local office and using modern digital payment platforms. Authorities are likely to use the evidence gathered to seek attachment of suspected proceeds and initiate prosecution under anti‑money‑laundering laws if the paper trail corroborates criminality.

No arrests were reported in the initial round of searches, and the ED has not yet filed a chargesheet in its own proceedings. The agency is expected to continue tracing transfers and may seek mutual legal assistance or co‑operation from foreign jurisdictions if the probe establishes movement of funds to overseas shell entities.

The ED said it will continue to examine the financial and digital evidence to determine the scale of the alleged money‑laundering and identify those responsible for orchestrating the suspected scam.