A man has been arrested for allegedly being part of a gang that created a website using forged documents and invited investments online.
Police said they have seized Rs 65.6 lakh from the possession of Benjamin Ali, 28, who was arrested on Wednesday. The gang has duped victims out of Rs 1.33 crore, the police said.
An officer of the cyber cell of Kolkata police said Rs 65.6 lakh and some gadgets had been seized from the house in southeast Kolkata’s Tangra — 27 Christopher Road — where Ali lived as a tenant.
“We have reasons to believe that the cash found in the house was proceeds of the crime committed through the fake website. We have also come across transactions between Benjamin’s bank account and that of one of the beneficiaries in the case,” said the officer.
Ali, like his teammates who were arrested earlier, has been booked under IPC sections dealing with cheating, fraud, forgery and criminal conspiracy, and also under the Information Technology Act.
“The team had created a fraudulent website in the name of ‘Idex Gold’ and invited people to make investments. The accused had introduced themselves as officials of Idex Gold and convinced victims to invest in shares by promising them lucrative returns,” said an officer.
The police said they found the gang had duped people out of Rs 1.33 crore. The money was transferred to 11 bank accounts before it was withdrawn from banks or through ATMs, an officer said.
Earlier, six persons were arrested in connection with the case. Among the items seized from the accused were six SIM cards, four mobile phones, three “Welcome Kits” for fresh accounts and activated SIM cards.
“We are spreading awareness urging people not to make online investments without verifying the credentials of the company. People should not believe in tele-callers, who call at random and try to convince people to invest in various schemes,” said a police officer of the rank of assistant commissioner.