ED raids in Patiala, Pune, Chandigarh uncover fake call centres
The Enforcement Directorate's Hyderabad Zonal Office searched four premises in Patiala, Pune and Chandigarh on Tuesday in an investigation into a fake call centre syndicate targeting US nationals. Conducted under Section 17 of the PMLA, 2002, the searches led to the detection of three call centres — two in Patiala and one in Pune — where around 220 persons were working. Officials seized 66 mobile phones, 13 laptops, hard disks, cash and records. Residential premises in Chandigarh were allegedly used by the mastermind to control the Patiala centres, the ED said. The investigation continues.
Source
The Hindu — Telangana · read the original report ↗
Desk check · compared with the source
What the desk checked (5)
- ED Hyderabad Zonal Office searched four premises in Patiala, Pune and Chandigarh on Tuesday under Section 17 of PMLA, 2002. — Attributed to the ED in the source; no independent verification possible.
- Three call centres were detected — two in Patiala, one in Pune — with about 220 persons found working. — Figure appears in the source, attributed to the ED searches.
- Seizures included 66 mobile phones, 13 laptops, hard disks, other communication equipment, cash and records. — Specific figures stated in the source as ED seizures.
- Residential properties in Chandigarh were allegedly used by the mastermind to control the Patiala call centres. — Framed as an allegation by the ED; mastermind not named in the source.
- Call centres kept changing offices to evade suspicion. — Attributed to an unnamed ED officer.
Analysts’ view opinion
This is an evidence-gathering step, not an adjudication — a search under Section 17 of the PMLA, 2002 is neither an arrest nor a charge. The legal weight of the case will rest on two things: establishing an underlying scheduled offence such as cheating or extortion, and then tracing the money from it as "proceeds of crime" to build the laundering chain. Because the alleged victims are US nationals, key evidence and complainants sit outside Indian jurisdiction, which complicates proof.
- Section 17 is a search-and-seizure power, and seizures must be placed before the adjudicating authority for retention within the timelines the statute prescribes.
- A PMLA offence cannot stand alone — it needs a predicate scheduled offence, which this story does not spell out.
- Digital material from phones, laptops and hard disks will only hold up if chain-of-custody and certification standards under evidence law are strictly met.
- The presence of around 220 workers does not make 220 accused; the law must distinguish those managing, controlling and sharing the proceeds from salaried staff.
- If the alleged role of converting US dollar receipts into rupees is proven, it could be treated as layering, and may also raise questions under other financial laws such as foreign exchange regulation.
What to watch — Watch for confirmation of the seizures by the adjudicating authority, any provisional attachment order, disclosure of the scheduled offence underpinning the ECIR, and whether mutual legal assistance with US authorities is invoked.
The story establishes no one's guilt and does not report arrests, a prosecution complaint, the amounts involved or the identity of the alleged mastermind — these remain the investigating agency's allegations at this stage.
Deep dive
Research brief · 8 facts · 3 dates · exam-readyThe brief
Context
The Enforcement Directorate's Hyderabad Zonal Office has been probing a syndicate running fake call centres in India that allegedly cheated United States nationals by inducing them to make payments under false pretexts. The gang was already part of an earlier ED investigation. On Tuesday, the agency searched four premises across Patiala, Pune and Chandigarh under Section 17 (search and seizure) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, detecting three functioning call centres and seizing digital devices, cash and records. The probe is now tracing the proceeds of crime, including dollar-to-rupee conversion channels.
Key facts
- ED's Hyderabad Zonal Office searched four premises in Patiala, Pune and Chandigarh on Tuesday, in a case involving a fake call centre syndicate targeting US nationals.
- Searches were conducted under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
- Three call centres were detected — two in Patiala and one in Pune — with around 220 persons found working.
- Seizures included 66 mobile phones, 13 laptops, hard disks, other communication equipment, cash and records.
- Premises had multiple work stations, computers, headsets, mobile phones and networking equipment used to call US nationals and induce payments under false pretexts.
- Residential properties searched in Chandigarh were allegedly used by the mastermind to coordinate and control the Patiala call centres.
- Data from mobile phones and a laptop revealed the syndicate's modus operandi and distribution of proceeds from the fraud; the same method was used at the Pune centre.
- ED found a person allegedly involved in processing and converting proceeds received in US Dollars into Indian Rupees; his role and transactions are being examined.
Timeline
- Before the current actionThe gang involved in the case was part of an earlier ED investigation.
- Tuesday (as reported)ED searches four premises in Patiala, Pune and Chandigarh under Section 17, PMLA; three call centres detected, devices and cash seized.
- Report published September 16, 2026ED continues analysing digital evidence to establish modus operandi, identify all persons involved and trace proceeds of crime.
Who has a stake
- Enforcement Directorate, Hyderabad Zonal Office — Investigating agency; must establish the full modus operandi, links among premises and the flow of proceeds of crime.
- US nationals targeted by the calls — Victims allegedly cheated and extorted, induced to make payments under false pretexts.
- Around 220 persons found working at the three call centres — Their roles in the alleged calling campaigns are under examination.
- Alleged mastermind operating from Chandigarh residences — Accused of coordinating and controlling the Patiala call centres; digital devices seized from the premises.
- Alleged currency conversion operative — Accused of processing and converting fraud proceeds from US Dollars into Indian Rupees; transactions under scrutiny.
Why it matters
Cross-border fake call centre frauds route illicit foreign earnings into India through informal conversion channels, making them a money-laundering and reputational risk rather than only a cheating offence. The case shows how syndicates use VoIP systems, diallers and shifting office locations to evade detection, and why financial agencies must trace payment channels rather than only raid premises. It also highlights the scale of employment inside such operations — around 220 people at just three centres.
UPSC angle
Prelims pointers
- Section 17 of the PMLA, 2002 empowers authorised officers to conduct search and seizure.
- Enforcement Directorate is the agency that enforces the PMLA, 2002; the case was handled by its Hyderabad Zonal Office.
- Searches covered four premises in Patiala (Punjab), Pune (Maharashtra) and Chandigarh.
- Seizures: 66 mobile phones, 13 laptops, hard disks, communication equipment, cash and records.
- Around 220 persons were found working at the three detected call centres.
- VoIP-based systems, diallers and calling scripts are among the elements under investigation.
Mains framing
The ED's multi-city action against a fake call centre syndicate targeting US nationals illustrates how transnational cyber-enabled fraud has become a money-laundering problem for India. The alleged operation combined a scalable front-end — three centres, around 220 workers, VoIP diallers, scripts and victim databases — with a back-end for laundering: a mastermind coordinating remotely from residential premises in Chandigarh, distribution of fraud proceeds among syndicate members, and an operative converting US Dollar receipts into Indian Rupees. An ED officer noted that operators keep shifting offices to evade suspicion, showing why premises-based enforcement alone is inadequate. The investigation's focus on payment channels, fund flows and links between searched premises reflects the correct approach: treating such frauds as proceeds-of-crime cases under the PMLA, 2002, using Section 17 search powers to secure digital evidence. The way forward suggested by the case itself lies in forensic analysis of seized devices to map the full network, tracing cross-border payment routes and identifying the controllers rather than only the callers; broader policy prescriptions are not stated in the source.
Key terms
- Enforcement Directorate (ED)
- Central financial investigation agency; here its Hyderabad Zonal Office conducted the searches under the PMLA.
- PMLA, 2002
- Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the law under which the ED acted; Section 17 provides for search and seizure.
- Proceeds of crime
- Money or property derived from criminal activity, which the ED is seeking to trace in this case.
- VoIP-based systems
- Voice-over-internet calling technology; along with diallers, it was allegedly used to make bulk calls to US nationals.
- Modus operandi
- The method of operation; data from seized phones and a laptop allegedly detailed the syndicate's methods and profit-sharing.
Practice questions
- Examine how the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 is used to tackle transnational cyber-enabled frauds such as fake call centre operations in India.
- Fake call centres targeting foreign nationals pose enforcement challenges beyond conventional cheating cases. Discuss with reference to digital evidence and cross-border fund flows.
- What powers does Section 17 of the PMLA give investigating officers, and why is seizure of digital devices central to money-laundering probes?
Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.