The Thane police has contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the US enforcement agency, for details on a group of 32 Indians who have been charged as accused by US for being part of the fraudulent activities of India-based call centres that extorted Americans in the name of tax dues.
“The Thane police’s communication was emailed to the FBI authorities to seek details on the 32 Indians,” said a senior police officer.
The police will use provisions of the existing Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) agreement between India and the US to seek additional details in its probe related to at least nine Mira Road-based call centres that extorted Americans in the name of that country’s tax and immigration authorities, said the officer.
The assistance under the Treaty shall include taking the testimony or statements of persons; providing documents, records and items of evidence; locating or identifying persons or items; serving documents, transferring persons in custody for testimony or other purposes; executing requests for searches and seizures, assistance in proceedings related to seizure and forfeiture of asset, restitution and collection of fines.
“It will be easier for the Thane police to get details quickly from the FBI. Otherwise, the information exchange system is delayed in other cases owing to lengthy court procedures,” an official said.
According to the Thane police, the FBI might have added names of the accused who are in the wanted list of the Thane police and some may be already in custody.
The official said, “We had given details of a few wanted accused as well as of those we have arrested from the Mira Road call centre raid to the FBI officers.”
Meanwhile, it is suspected that the Mira Road-based call centres extorted at least Rs 500 crore from 6,000 US nationals.
