The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested an advocate in connection with an alleged nationwide cyber fraud and digital arrest network involving banking transactions worth nearly ₹28,000 crore and cash deposits of around ₹2,900 crore. The arrest brings the total number of people arrested in the case to 7.
An ED team from Panaji intercepted Rashesh Upadhyay, also known as Rashesh Shah, at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Saturday as he was preparing to board a flight to Delhi. Customs and Central Industrial Security Force personnel assisted the agency in locating him.
Upadhyay was taken to Panaji and produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court, which remanded him to ED custody until October 29.
The investigation began after Goa Police registered a first information report on June 9, 2025. According to the ED, a woman from Goa was allegedly placed under digital arrest by cyber fraudsters and forced to transfer ₹2.60 crore to multiple mule accounts between May 21 and June 2, 2025.
While seeking his custody, the ED described Upadhyay as a “key node” in the alleged network. The agency claimed that he helped get bank accounts linked to the cybercrime operation unfrozen after police complaints by allegedly bribing officials through “Angadiyas”, a private network of individuals involved in cash transactions.
The ED also alleged that although Upadhyay had enrolled as an advocate, he had never appeared for any of the accused or their companies or filed a “Vakalatnama”, the document authorising a lawyer to represent a client.
According to the agency, funds taken from the Goa victim were transferred through 400 mule accounts linked to commodity, travel and foreign exchange companies operated through dummy directors. The money was subsequently withdrawn in cash and converted into foreign currency through money changers licensed by the Reserve Bank of India.
The ED said accounts connected to the alleged network had surfaced in more than 300 victim complaints and over 160 first information reports across 20 states and Union Territories. Reported losses in these cases exceed ₹400 crore.
The agency is investigating the alleged involvement of officials who accepted bribes, Angadiyas and other intermediaries, while tracing the full proceeds of the suspected crime.
Digital arrest scams involve fraudsters posing as law enforcement officers during audio or video calls, threatening victims and pressuring them to transfer money. The government has clarified that digital arrest has no legal basis in India and advised victims to report such incidents through the national cybercrime helpline at 1930 or the cybercrime.gov.in portal.
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