Search on for Gujarat-based mastermind of call centre racket

Two days after the Thane police busted a major scam where three call centres allegedly duped US nationals of over Rs 500 crore last year, a senior investigator has revealed launching a search operation to track down a key mastermind based in Gujarat. The man is suspected of having funded operations of all three call centres and of being in direct contact with another mastermind based in the US.

Sources in the investigating team said that the police narrowed down on the suspect after talking to ‘team leaders’ in all three call centres. “The suspect allegedly called the shots across all three call centres that have been raided,\" said a police source. Even the American operatives reported to this suspect, the source added. Investigators said that the man could be one of the “brains” behind the scam. “All ‘senior team members’ in the Thane-based call centres had to give him daily reports. We also suspect that he financed all three establishments,\" revealed another source.

The police said that if traced and arrested, the Gujarat-based suspect could provide clues to the accused said to be residing in the US. “It is not yet clear whether the accused in the US are Indians or Americans. Since they also reported to this Gujarat-based suspect, tracing him is crucial,” said an officer.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Thane police raided three call centres at Mira Road for being part of an international financial racket. The police arrested 70 employees and revealed that these employees used to make calls from here to US citizens, posing as officers of Internal Revenue Services (IRS), and ask them to pay immediately for defaulting on huge amounts of taxes. Till date, police have recorded the statements of over 500 call centre employees and are still looking for the brains behind the racket.