The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested a man in West Bengal who posed as an ED officer to extort crores from businessmen by threatening them with false investigations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The accused, identified as S K Jinnar Ali, was taken into custody following raids in Kolkata and Bardhaman, and has been remanded to ED custody until July 16. The arrest follows an FIR by the Bidhannagar Police in Kolkata, revealing a larger pattern of extortion and impersonation designed to intimidate business owners under the guise of official action.
Extortion Under the Guise of Enforcement Directorate Authority
According to the ED, Ali and his associates targeted businessmen, contacting them by phone and summoning them under the false pretext of official inquiries that did not exist. To create a false sense of legitimacy, the accused used a Toyota Fortuner with an ED insignia and presented themselves as government officials. Victims were threatened with raids, property seizures, and arrests, coercing them into making large payments to avoid fabricated charges and investigations.
In one case, a businessman was forced to pay Rs 1.30 crore in cash and Rs 20 lakh through a bank transfer. In another instance, Ali allegedly extorted Rs 1.5 crore by falsely promising to assist with ongoing investigations, using intimidation to extract money while maintaining a facade of government authority.
Raids Reveal Fake Documents, Government Emblems, and Luxury Cars
During the raids, the ED seized two vehicles, a Honda Amaze and a Hyundai Aura, owned by Ali and his wife, and froze deposits worth Rs 45.89 lakh found in their bank accounts and that of a company named Sparklink Management Service Private Limited. The agency also discovered forged letters, fabricated seals, and fake signatures used to impersonate the ED and other government authorities.
Multiple lanyards printed with “Government of India” were recovered, along with a letterhead from the Ministry of Home Affairs featuring the State Emblem of India. Additionally, the ED found that Ali projected himself as the chairman of an organisation named The National Anti-Trafficking Committee, claiming on its website that it was established in 1962 and registered under NITI Aayog, misleading people into believing it was a legitimate government body. The website was designed to mimic an official government site to deceive victims.
The ED has urged the public not to fall prey to such fraudulent tactics and advised individuals to verify any summons received through the official ED website to prevent exploitation by impostors posing as enforcement officials.
