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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested the owner and Director of Met Technologies Pvt Ltd, Kunal Gupta in connection with allegedly running an illegal call center under section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
The Special PMLA Court in Kolkata remanded Kunal Gupta who was arrested on September 10 to ED custody till September 22. ED initiated the investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by Bidhannagar Police alleging serious offences, including cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy under various sections of the India Penal Code (IPC), against Met Technologies Pvt. Ltd and its associates. The ensuing investigation unearthed an illegal call centre run by the company in Salt Lake, Kolkata, engaging in fraudulent activities both domestically and internationally, which was subsequently sealed by Police, the ED said. ED investigation revealed that the representatives of the said company targeted gullible residents in the USA, UK, and Australia. The probe agency further said that posing as representatives of legitimate businesses, they defrauded individuals through bogus tech support offers, deceptive website sales, and sham loan offers via counterfeit mobile apps, coercing victims into substantial payments. Kunal Gupta is also suspected to be involved in illegal betting and online gambling activities, the agency said, adding, It is also revealed that he has established companies in the UK, US, and Australia. Two of his UK-based companies have been levied huge penalties by Ofcom, the Telecom Regulator of UK, illegal practice of switching a consumer's telephone service provider without consent. ED investigation revealed that the laundered money was funnelled into the hospitality sectorincluding hotels, clubs, and cafesas a ploy to legitimize the illicit funds. (ANI)
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