Another call centre racket in Mumbai: Accused used to work at fake Thane call centre earlier

Sources said the employees, who were not paid well at the Mira Road call centre, learnt how to cheat US citizens there and then started their own call centre in Malad

The Mumbai crime branch, after busting a fake call centre racket at two offices in Malad and arresting 14 people on Thursday night, found that owners of the Malad call centre had previously worked at the Mira Road fake call centre busted by the Thane police in October 2016.

Police officers with the arrested accused on Friday. (HT)

Sources said the employees, who were not paid well at the Mira Road call centre, learnt how to cheat US citizens there and then started their own call centre in Malad to earn some quick money. “Some of these accused laid low after the Thane police raid and nearly four to five months ago they started the two call centres in Malad (West),” said a senior official of the crime branch.

After questioning the first 13 people they arrested, the police nabbed one Amey Lokare for allegedly providing data of US citizens to the other suspects. Lokare, a computer engineer, is a resident of Malwani. The cops said he was in touch with Musir Shaikh, 28, one of the accused, and provided him the contacts.

They used to ask the US citizens, who replied to their text messages, for their area code, find a gift shop in their area and ask them to purchase gift vouchers for tax settlement.

After getting the voucher number, they used to give it to Abhishekh Dubey, 29, an accused, who used to encash it. He used to take 40% of the amount and give 60% to the call centre.

Thane fake call centre: 298 arrested so far

Meanwhile, the Thane police have so far arrested 298 people in connection with the fake call centre racket in Mira Road, which was busted last year.

They are looking for Reema Thakkar, 27, sister of mastermind Sagar Thakkar.

A police officer from the Thane crime branch said: “A total of six people are wanted in the case. The police suspect that Reema, who used to look after the finances, was recently in Dubai, but she keeps changing her location.”

The police have also appealed to citizens, asking them to report any suspicious activity. M Hatote, assistant police commissioner, Thane crime branch, said: “The main accused are behind the bars and we have seized property worth Rs4.7 crore till now. Sagar Thakkar has been arrested, but his sister is at large. We are trying to check if the accused had links outside the state.”

The police filed a charge-sheet in the case in December and attached a supplementary charge-sheet in February.

On October 4, the Thane crime branch and Thane rural police raided seven call centres in Mira Road. Police said 6,500 US citizens were cheated of more than Rs1,500 crore.