An officer of the U.S.A. security agency Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Friday arrived in Thane and gathered and shared details about the probe in the multi-crore call centre scam whose victims were American citizens.
The FBI officer met the senior authorities of Thane Police and exchanged information gathered by both the sides about the scam, unearthed earlier this month.
“We will verify the information which the FBI has shared with us. It will help in our investigation. The FBI team also appreciated our efforts [in uncovering the scam],” Joint Commissioner of Police Ashutosh Dumbre said.
The FBI officer will be in Thane for a few more days and will question those arrested in connection with the scam, police sources said.
The police has issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) to nab Sagar Dharmesh Thakkar, the alleged mastermind of the scam which operated out of almost a dozen call centres where executives posed as U.S. tax authorities and duped a large number of American citizens.
The Crime Branch teams are also on the look-out for Thakkar and authorities at the international borders, airports and sea ports have been alerted to thwart his attempt to leave the country, said Mr. Dumbre.
The Thane Police unearthed the scam, which procured almost Rs. 500 crore from American citizens in the city, after raiding seven call centres in Mira Road. The con job had been going on for a few months, police authorities added.
