In a high-stakes operation, the Enforcement Directorate struck 12 locations in Bengaluru on Monday, unraveling a money laundering empire built on cyber fraud. Invoking PMLA provisions, the raids zeroed in on Shrikrishna alias Shriki’s gang, implicated in a series of audacious cyber heists documented in Karnataka Police FIRs.
The crimes span hacking global websites, bitcoin thefts, forced extortions, and NDPS breaches. The modus operandi was chillingly efficient: infiltrate digital platforms to siphon cryptocurrencies, convert them via obscure trading sites, launder through layered bank transfers, and pocket the clean cash. This web of deception enriched the perpetrators while dodging law enforcement radars.
Spotlight fell on politically connected figures. Raids hit homes of MLA NA Harris’s sons, Mohammad Harris Nalpad and Omar Farooq Nalpad, described by ED as Shriki’s inner circle and prime profiteers. Aquib Khan, linked to ex-Minister Rehman Khan’s family and recent poll contender Mansoor Ali Khan, also faced scrutiny as a direct beneficiary.
Teams carted away incriminating documents, gadgets, and transaction logs, now under forensic analysis to map the fund flows. ED hints at a vast cyber-finance nexus with broader implications. As investigations intensify, the agency anticipates unmasking more players in this digital delinquency.
Bengaluru, India’s Silicon Valley, now grapples with its dark underbelly where tech savvy criminals blend innovation with illegality. This ED blitz signals zero tolerance, promising accountability and recovery of laundered assets to bolster public trust in financial systems.
