ED team probing cyber fraud attacked in Delhi, officer hurt

An Enforcement Directorate team undertaking searches at a farmhouse in Delhi in a cyber fraud-linked money laundering case was allegedly attacked on Thursday, injuring an agency official.

The federal probe agency said it is filing an FIR with the Delhi police about the incident which took place in the Bijwasan area of the national capital.

The farmhouse falls under the Kapashera police station in southwest Delhi.

The raids took place at some other locations of the national capital too.

Police said the farmhouse belonged to a person named Ashok Kumar, a chartered accountant.

The ED team, according to the police, was led by ED assistant director Suraj Yadav.

A picture of a broken chair, kept in the farmhouse, was shared by the ED on X.

ED officials said an enforcement officer suffered minor injuries during the attack but he continued with the searches after he was given first aid.

The agency said in a statement that the searches were part of a money laundering investigation against "organised" cyber crimes like Phishing, QR code cheating and part-time job fraud leading to duping of many people.

The agency said it analysed these cases with the help of the Indian cyber crime coordination centre (I4C) and the Financial Intelligence Unit.

"It was found that an organised network of CAs and crypto traders was at work. Around 15,000 mule accounts were used to layer proceeds of cyber crimes. Subsequently, debit and credit cards were obtained which were used to top up virtual accounts on Pyypl and funds were layered to buy crypto-currency," the ED said.

It said "incriminating" material including multiple PAN cards, bank cheque books, passbooks, pen drives, credit and debit cards, seals and CPUs have been seized.

"At one premises at Bijwasan, suspect Ashok Sharma and his brother assaulted an ED officer and managed to escape after causing hurt. An FIR is being filed. Searches are on," it said.

The Delhi police said in a statement that it received an information regarding "manhandling" of an ED team in the Bijwasan area.

The Kapashera station house officer along with his staff reached the spot.

Two women officers of the Central Reserve Police Force were also present in the raiding team of the ED.

"Yash, who is a relative of Sharma (Ashok), has been apprehended in connection with the case and is being further interrogated," the police said.

ED officials alleged Yash was also involved in the attack on the agency officials. The cyber crime network was allegedly being run by some chartered accountants, the sources claimed.