The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Greater Chennai Police on Tuesday arrested a key accused of a gang which ran a fictitious cargo moving firm and swindled several crores of rupees from freight forwarding companies.
The CCB unearthed the fraud last June following complaints from a freight forwarding company representative Ragunandan and arrested Ponraj, David alias Kevinraj, Gokulnath alias Daniel of Thoothukudi and Patrickmari Vijaymurugappa of Puducherry and launched a search to nab 12 more persons. The police said the fraudsters posed as exporters / shipping agents and asked freight forwarding companies to hire barge or containers from shell companies referred by them for export. Police said in reality, no export took place. Also the exporter, shipper and container supplier companies were fake. Four more freight forward companies have also lodged complaints.
The key accused G. Pon Ravi, 34, of Thoothukudi, was stopped by immigration authorities at Mumbai international airport when he tried to flee the country. Then the special team rom CCB arrested him and brought him to the city. Police seized a luxury car from him. He was remanded in judicial custody.
