The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested an advocate in connection with a money-laundering investigation linked to an alleged pan-India cyber fraud and digital arrest network, official sources told PTI. The network allegedly handled banking transactions worth nearly Rs 28,000 crore (yaani about Rs 280 billion) and made cash deposits of about Rs 2,900 crore, and the latest action takes the number of arrests in the case to seven.

Source: PTI via News89 (India Today)

An ED team from Panaji intercepted Rashesh Upadhyay, also known as Rashesh Shah, at a boarding gate inside Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Saturday as he was about to take a flight to Delhi, the sources said. Customs and Central Industrial Security Force officers assisted the agency in locating him. Upadhyay was taken to Panaji and produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court, which sent him to ED custody until October 29.

Source: PTI via News89 (India Today)

Rs 28,000 crorealleged banking transactions handled by the network (yaani ~Rs 280 billion)
Rs 2,900 crorealleged cash deposits
7arrests in the case so far
400mule accounts allegedly used

The investigation began after Goa Police registered a first information report on June 9, 2025. A Goa-based woman was allegedly placed under digital arrest by cyber fraudsters and duped into transferring Rs 2.60 crore to several mule accounts between May 21 and June 2, 2025, the ED had earlier said. According to the agency, that money was transferred to 400 mule accounts belonging to commodity, travel and foreign exchange companies operated through dummy directors, then withdrawn in cash and converted into foreign currency through money changers licenced by the Reserve Bank of India.

Source: PTI via News89 (India Today)

While seeking Upadhyay's custody, the ED told the court that he was a 'key node' in the network, alleging that when bank accounts linked to the network were frozen following police complaints, he got them released by bribing officials through 'Angadiyas', a private network of individuals dealing in cash. The agency also alleged that Upadhyay had enrolled as an advocate but had never appeared or filed a 'Vakalatnama' for any of the accused or their companies. These are the agency's allegations, made in court, and have not been proved.

Source: PTI via News89 (India Today)

The ED said accounts linked to the alleged network feature in more than 300 complaints by victims and over 160 first information reports across 20 states and Union Territories, with reported losses exceeding Rs 400 crore. Earlier ED reporting on the same network, covered by The420, put its aggregate banking transactions at over Rs 27,850 crore with cash deposits of about Rs 2,904 crore. The agency is trying to identify the officials who allegedly accepted bribes, the Angadiyas and other intermediaries involved, and trace the full proceeds of the alleged crime. Digital arrest is a cybercrime in which fraudsters pose as law-enforcement officers on calls and pressure victims into transferring money; the government has said digital arrest has no legal basis in India and such cases should be reported on the national cybercrime helpline 1930 or at cybercrime.gov.in.

Source: The420 (ED digital-arrest network reporting)

Sources: PTI via News89, October 24, 2026, reporting official sources on the ED arrest at Mumbai airport; and The420, reporting the ED's earlier findings on the same digital-arrest network.

Source: PTI via News89 (India Today)