‘Leader of $300m call fraud’ is caught

MUMBAI // Indian police say they have arrested the leader of a call-centre scam run from a Mumbai suburb, which hit thousands of Americans and netted more than $300 million.

Sagar Thakkar, also known as Shaggy, was arrested at the Mumbai international airport yesterday after he flew in from Dubai, said policeman Mukund Hatote.

In October, the US justice department charged more than 60 people in India and the US over the swindle.

The scam involved call centre agents impersonating officers from the Internal Revenue Service, immigration or other agencies and demanding payments for fake debts. Victims were threatened them with arrest, jail, fines or deportation if they did not pay. Payments were laundered by conspirators in the US using prepaid debit cards or wire transfers, often using stolen or fake identities.

The department said at least 15,000 people had been stung. The scam was broken up in early October, when Indian police raided call centres in the Mumbai suburb of Thane and detained more than 700 people. Centres in the western city of Ahmedabad were also raided and shut down.

Mr Thakkar was described as a call-centre operator. He and the others were charged with conspiracy to commit identity theft, impersonating US officials, fraud and money laundering.

US and Indian authorities have been working together on the investigation. The US has said it will seek the extradition of suspects in India. Indian police said Mr Thakkar led a lavish lifestyle, staying at five-star hotels and driving expensive cars.