ED Hyderabad foils conman’s extortion attempt to exploit PMLA accused
Hyderabad: A Hyderabad-based conman, Sandeep Desai, allegedly ran an audacious, deceptive scheme. He impersonated senior Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials to extort money from those being investigated for money laundering. The plot, which unravelled through meticulous surveillance and swift action, has shed light on a brazen attempt to exploit the fear of law enforcement. Enforcement Directorate (ED), Hyderabad, conducted search operations on Friday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, at a Hyderabad office related to conman – Sandeep Desai.
Searches at the conman’s residence led to the recovery of multiple SIM cards and mobile phones used to entice and extort money from persons facing ED investigation. Going further into case details, ED, Hyderabad Zonal Office had earlier conducted search operations on 19 December 2024 under the provisions of PMLA, 2002 at two premises in Hyderabad related to M/s CSK Realtors Ltd. and M/s Singh Mansions Pvt. Ltd.
The anti-money laundering agency’s investigation revealed that based on the 19 December 2024 press release, conman Sandeep Desai contacted Suresh Kumar Agarwal, Managing Director of M/s CSK Realtors, and tried to extort money from him in the name of ED officers.
“The conman, Sandeep Desai, used three different mobile numbers to contact Suresh Kumar Agarwal through WhatsApp and falsely projected himself as senior ED officers. He convinced Suresh Kumar Agarwal to meet him at a 5-star hotel in Hyderabad and, during the meeting, introduced himself as ‘Rakesh’ and a cousin/friend of an ED officer. The conman demanded a hefty sum from Suresh Kumar Agarwal and offered to help him in the ongoing PMLA investigation against M/s CSK Realtors through his contact with ED officers,” narrated the ED in their official statement.
On the basis of information received regarding the above modus operandi, the ED officers encouraged Suresh Kumar Agarwal to file a written complaint. The ED officers acted quickly on the complaint. They used CCTV and surveillance to identify the conman and find his location.
Subsequently, authorities conducted search operations at his residential premises and seized various SIM cards and mobile phones that he used. In his statement recorded during the course of the investigation, the said conman, Sandeep Desai, admitted that he tried to extort money from Sh. Suresh Kumar Agarwal, making a false claim of association with ED officers. Further investigation in the case is under progress.
𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐲𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐚𝐧’𝐬 𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐢𝐭 𝐏𝐌𝐋𝐀 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝
Hyderabad: Enforcement Directorate (ED) busted a conman’s scheme targeting PMLA accused. Sandeep Desai impersonated senior ED officials, extorting money from M/s CSK Realtors… pic.twitter.com/eYLMoCocKn
— Hyderabad Mail (@Hyderabad_Mail) January 6, 2025
