2 Indians sending money to their Pakistani handlers held in UP

The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Monday arrested two men from Ghaziabad who were allegedly sending money to their Pakistani handlers after duping Indian citizens through fraud lottery, officials said.

The accused have been identified as Jai Prakash Ruhela and Dhiruddin Chaudhary and both were picked up by the Noida unit of the ATS, which was probing their suspected links across the border, the officials said.

"The duo had raised around Rs 15 lakh in last one and a half months alone by duping Indian citizens through a fraud lottery scheme. That money has been sent to their handlers in Pakistan. So far, their 12 bank accounts have been checked and a large number of their bank accounts are yet to be assessed, the ATS said in a statement.

"Detailed assessment of their mobile phones has confirmed that around Rs 20 lakh has been sent to their Pakistani handlers, the agency said.

Ruhela, a native of Shamli district, was picked up from his residence in Raj Nagar extension, while Chaudhary, who hails from Muzaffarnagar, held from Sahibabad area.

During preliminary probe, Ruhela has told investigators that he was in constant touch with 10 Pakistani handlers, the ATS said.

"Besides this, their arrest has also thrown up links to suspected people working for their Pakistani handlers in Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Kolkata in West Bengal, it added.

The agency said it was still ascertaining whether the duo was involved in money laundering, the exact number of people duped by them and any other person involved in their work.

A case has been registered at the Lucknow office of the ATS and the duo booked under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (fraud) and 467, 468, 471 (all related to forgery), it said.

Thirty-two ATM cards of various banks, five bank passbooks and cheque books and their four mobile phones have been seized, the ATS said.