Global money laundering network unearthed in Delhi

New Delhi: With the arrest of two criminals here, the Delhi Police has uncovered a cross-border money laundering network that funnelled proceeds of fraud to Pakistan-based handlers through the cryptocurrency channel, an official said on Wednesday.

Both the men, associated with the Gogi-Sonu Kharkhari gang, were caught from Samaypur Badli area on October 2, he said.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outernorth) Hareshwar Swami, one of the arrested men, Ritik alias Bomb (22), is designated 'bad character' at the Kapashera police station. He was not only involved in multiple crimes including robbery and culpable homicide but was also allegedly a mediator facilitating cryptocurrency-based financial transactions with Pakistani nationals.

The second accused arrested has been identified as Chandan (19), a history-sheeter. "Ritik was in touch with Pakistani nationals through social media using foreign numbers. He was found facilitating cryptocurrency transactions to Pakistani handlers using a mobile application," he said.

Swami said that during interrogation, Ritik revealed that he has been in contact with six Pakistani nationals for nearly four months. These handlers allegedly ran fake loan applications and other cyber scams targeting Indian victims.

Ritik procured UPI IDs from Indian crypto traders -- identified as Rahul Gujjar, Yash and Akash -- and sent them to Pakistani handlers. Once victims made payments to these UPI IDs through fake loan apps, the Pakistani handlers sent screenshots of the transaction to Ritik. He then purchased cryptocurrency for an equivalent amount and sent it to wallets managed by the Pakistani nationals, after taking his cut.

"Ritik acted as a mediator in converting the proceeds of fraud into cryptocurrency, mainly USDT (Tether)," said the DCP.

The funds deposited to these Indian UPI accounts were primarily proceeds from the fake loan apps, or extortion schemes where people were coerced into paying under threats of data leaks.

The DCP said that Ritik was a close aide of Sonu Kharkhari, a key figure in Delhi's organised crime network and a known associate of slain gangster Rajesh Bharti. Bharti led the 'Kranti Gang' before being killed in a 2018 encounter with Delhi Police's Special Cell.

Police said Ritik had been associated with Kranti Gang since his juvenile years and after Bharti's death, continued his criminal activities under Kharkhari's network.

Ritik has a long history of violent crimes, including six previous cases of robbery, culpable homicide and Arms Act violations. He was released from jail in March this year.