Palarivattom police in Keralam to submit report to ED on Kochi immigration firm scam

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The Palarivattom police in Keralam, which is probing a series of complaints against a Kochi-based immigration services firm, will submit a report to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking further investigation into the money transactions involved in the cases.

The police will report to the Central agency the details of the three cases they have registered against Parvathy Maya Shaji, the founder and CEO of Amster Overseas, and others.

“The ED will be intimated about the cases as the accused have received money in bank accounts abroad for services promised or delivered in India. Though only three people have come forward seeking registration of FIRs against the firm, we suspect the gravity of the financial fraud committed by the accused could be much larger. It is up to the ED to probe the financial transactions involved and find out if they come under the purview of offences relating to money laundering,” a city police officer said.

Police sources said it is learnt that the firm has repaid the money received from around 100 people following the arrest of Ms. Shaji, a native of Kottayam, who has been remanded in judicial custody.

The police said they have yet to record the arrest of Ms. Shaji in the third case registered against her, which is based on a complaint lodged by a youth from Ponnani in Malappuram.

The earlier cases pertain to allegations that the company cheated three complainants, one each from Ernakulam, Thrissur and Malappuram districts, of lakhs of rupees after promising jobs in Poland and Armenia.

Ms. Shaji was arrested by the Palarivattom police on September 24 after she was detained on her arrival from abroad in Thiruvananthapuram.

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