Chandigarh/Panchkula, Nov 30:
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Chandigarh Zonal Office, on Friday arrested Mahesh Chandrashekhar Shetye, the alleged mastermind behind a fake technical-support call centre operating out of IT Park, Panchkula.
Shetye, owner of M/s Certiszep Innovations (OPC) Pvt. Ltd., was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
According to officials, the call centre—running from the second floor of Plot No. 7, Sector 22, IT Park—was involved in duping foreign nationals by posing as technical support executives.
The ED alleges that Shetye not only facilitated the scam but also laundered the illegally earned money through hawala channels, turning fraud proceeds into untraceable cash flows.
The Special PMLA Court in Panchkula has granted the ED seven days’ custody of Shetye, till December 6, for sustained interrogation and to trace the broader network, including money movers and possible overseas links.
Sources said investigators are now focusing on the money trail, digital evidence recovered from the call centre, and suspected associates involved in layering the Proceeds of Crime (POC).
With the arrest, the ED believes it has taken a significant step toward dismantling a larger racket of fake call centres in the region that have been targeting unsuspecting victims across the globe.
