Student dupes US couple, routes money to A'bad through angadia
1
2
3
4
Ahmedabad: The arrest of a 25-year-old youth from Gujarat in the US has uncovered a startling transnational money trail. The student, held for duping an elderly couple from Michigan couple of $50,000, is believed to have routed the stolen amount to India through angadia (courier) and forex companies based in Ahmedabad.
Investigators believe this scheme could run far deeper, pointing to a disturbing new trend where young Indians, many on student visas, are being used as the new foot soldiers in global fraud operations. "With increasing scrutiny back home, these operatives from Gujarat have begun orchestrating similar cons directly from within the US, often using Indian students whom they either lure with incentives or threaten into joining their schemes," said authorities in the know.
"These operatives and firms, many of whom previously ran illegal call centres in Gujarat to target and defraud US citizens, are using these students as mules. The stolen cash is allegedly transferred to India through informal hawala channels, often using angadia firms. Some forex companies in Ahmedabad are also under the scanner," said an official here close to the development.
According to the police of Shelby Township in Michigan, the 25-year-old suspect, residing illegally in the Toledo area of Ohio, contacted the elderly couple through email on April 5, 2025.
He informed them that they had pending fraudulent charges related to child pornography on their credit card. Posing as an agent of the US Treasury Department, he convinced the couple to withdraw $50,000 in cash and place it in a box, which he would collect personally.
Two days later, the suspect rented a car, drove to their residence, and collected the box of cash. He instructed the couple not to inform anyone about the transaction.
The suspect was tracked by US officials using surveillance data from the FLOCK camera system, e-mail trails and phone and transport data. They identified the youth as the one who picked up the cash.
The accused from North Gujarat, was arrested in April and is currently under federal investigation for similar frauds targeting senior citizens.
The student, enrolled in a top Gandhinagar university, had travelled to Ontario in 2023 under a student exchange programme, said officials.
He later illegally entered the US. While investigators tracked him down, they uncovered a disturbing twist: he had already sent the money to India, and some operatives in Ahmedabad are believed to have received the funds. Sources said that angadia firms are likely to have been used to facilitate the money transfer.
The suspect was taken into custody in Toledo, Ohio, on April 30 and extradited to Michigan. He was arraigned on May 5 at the 41-A District Court, where his bond was set at $100,000 cash surety. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed a detainer on him.
He faces two felony charges: one for false pretences involving amounts over $50,000 and another for larceny over $20,000.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
FIR into brutal killing of stray dog in Sec 20, Pkl
Panchkula: A gut-wrenching murder of a stray dog shook the elite residential area of Sector 20 Panchkula on Sunday morning. Sheru, a community dog from the vegetable mandi, was found dead with grave injures and all four limbs tied in the early morning by resident Preeti Pahwa, who used to feed Sheru. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Preeti said, "Sheru was a very friendly, healthy and vaccinated dog. I found him with his feet tied with tight ropes, blood oozing from his mouth along with a blue-coloured liquid and called the police on the spot. The criminals tied his limbs so that he can't run to save his life, how low can human beings fall?" According to Preeti, this is the fourth dog in the same area that has been murdered similarly in the last one month. "We suspect all these dogs are being poisoned and if these criminals are not found, they will kill all other stray dogs too," she added. On Tuesday, Siddharth Arora, advocate in Punjab & Haryana high court, filed a legal representation with the deputy commissioner of police, Panchkula, seeking registration of an FIR in the case after the SHO Sector 20 Panchkula police station on Monday refused an FIR. Subsequently, on Wednesday, the police registered an FIR in the matter, Arora said. "We had submitted a written representation to the DCP u/s Section 173BNSS u/s 325 BNS & S 11(1)(L) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals act (1960) on behalf of the complainants, Preeti Pahwa and other residents, and this comes in the aftermath of blatant refusal of ASI Kuldip Singh and SHO Somvir Dhaka of Sector 20 Police Station to register FIR," he added. Preeti and other feeders, Mudita, Ruma and Savita had put up a fight for an autopsy of Sheru's body at Pet Animal Centre, a govt veterinary hospital in Sector 3, Panchkula. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "There was no vet at the hospital, being a Sunday. But after a lot of pressure, we managed to get the autopsy done on Sheru from the hospital," says Preeti. A postmortem report confirmed that the dog was poisoned before being brutally tied up and discarded in nearby bushes. She said, "If justice has to be served to these voiceless animals, stern action must be taken against those committing such a heartless crime, especially when the Indian law had made cruelty towards animals a cognizable offence." Saud Somvir Dhaka, SHO, Sector 20, said, "We are investigating the death of this dog and Kuldip Singh will lead the investigation."
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Project Pelican: Canada busts drug racket financing anti-India activities
NEW DELHI: Project Pelican, a major investigation conducted by Peel Regional Police, has busted a big narco-terror network based out of Canada and individuals suspected to be Khalistan sympathisers. While the operation led to the largest ever drug seizure there with 479 kg of cocaine valued at $47.9 million, nine individuals including seven Indian-origin men settled in Canada have been arrested. The investigation has revealed that the network exploited commercial trucking routes from the US to Canada, with ties to Mexican cartels and US-based distributors, the Peel police said. The proceeds from drug trafficking were being used to finance anti-India activities, including protests and referendums besides funding for weapons, sources said. Intelligence sources pointed towards an ISI-backed plan where Khalistani groups in Canada are being funded to traffick high value Mexican cocaine. The ISI has also been been found pushing Afghan-grown heroin. The arrested men include Sajgith Yogendrarajah, 31, of Toronto; Manpreet Singh, 44, of Brampton; Philip Tep, 39, of Hamilton; Arvinder Powar, 29, of Brampton; Karamjit Singh, 36, of Caledon; Gurtej Singh, 36, of Caledon; Sartaj Singh, 27, of Cambridge; Shiv Onkar Singh, 31, of Georgetown and Hao Tommy Huynh, a 27-year-old from Mississauga. They face a total of 35 charges related to firearm and drug offences, the Canadian police said. Last Dec, two Canadian nationals of Indian origin were arrested when US Illinois State Police found over 1,000 pounds of cocaine in their Volvo truck: something which alerted the investigators to the smuggling ring involving ISI which patronised illegal poppy cultivation in Afghanistan to help Taliban fight the US and Afghan troops. The current investigation began in June 2024, focusing on a cocaine smuggling operation using US-Canada commercial trucking routes. By Nov, multiple individuals, trucking companies, and storage sites linked to the operation were identified with the help of Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Significant seizures were made between Feb and May 2025, including 127 kg of cocaine at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor and 50 kg at the Blue Water Bridge in Point Edward, the Peel police said in a statement. Additional seizures were made across the Greater Toronto area, with some individuals arrested in possession of loaded firearms. "A total of 479 kg of bricked cocaine, worth an estimated $47.9 million, was seized, along with two illegal loaded semi-automatic handguns. The accused were held for a bail hearing at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton," the Peel police said. Michael S Kerzner, solicitor general of Ontario, praised the operation, stating, "Project Pelican is proof of what police can accomplish when they have the tools and resources needed to keep our communities safe."
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Indian handcuffed at Newark was in US illegally, consulate in touch with authorities
An Indian man was detained and handcuffed at Newark Airport due to his illegal entry into the US without a valid visa, leading to a social media stir. The Indian consulate in New York is engaging with US authorities regarding the situation. He will be deported to India once deemed medically fit for travel, as per a court order. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads New Delhi: An Indian man, who was handcuffed at the Newark airport, sparking a social media flutter, was in the US illegally and was being deported back, as per a court order. The Indian consulate in New York is in touch with the US authorities on the matter, sources person from Haryana, who was not identified, had broken the law by entering the US illegally and without a valid visa. "During his transit in Newark, on finding his behaviour not conducive for travel, he was restrained and admitted to a medical facility," sources will be deported to India as soon as he is declared fit for travel, they added. Earlier, sources said that the Indian embassy in Washington DC was in touch with the US authorities to ascertain the details of the incident involving the Indian man was filmed by an Indian-American who said he felt "heartbroken" on seeing him treated like a "criminal".
