Torres Ponzi scheme: Cops arrest Ukrainian national from Versova

On Saturday night, the EOW has arrested the CEO of Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd that operated Torres brand.

In Tausif’s interrogation, the name of Ukrainian national Atayin cropped up. While looking for him, the police discovered that Atayin had done small roles in some movies and lives in Filmcity area. Accordingly, the police went to Filmcity and during probe managed to get his real name and phone number and also that he lives in a rented house in Versova.

To nab him, the police laid a trap and contacted him pretending that they are calling from a film production house. They offered him acting work. As soon as he was ready to do the work, he was called to a place for a meeting and when he arrived, he was nabbed, an EOW source said.

His interrogation revealed that he has been living in Mumbai for the last 10 years without any valid documents. He did small action roles in some Hindi movies too.

“Atayin was responsible for helping the Ukrainian national accused in the fraud case to settle down in Mumbai when they came here. He provided them logistics support,” an EOW officer part of the investigation said.

It was also revealed that Atayin was the one who introduced CA Abhishek Gupta and Tausif to Ukrainian masterminds and was also paid for this job. The foreigner accused was also present at the first two meetings of the Ukraine masterminds. He was also present at the inauguration of the Torres office in Dadar.

He was produced in court on Tuesday and sent to police custody till February 3.

Thousands of people from Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Mira-Bhayandar regions have lost crores of rupees to the fraud which was allegedly carried out by Ukrainian masterminds.

Earlier, the EOW arrested the company’s CEO Tausif Reyaz, general manager and Uzbekistan national Taniya Xasatova alias Tazagul Karaxanovna Xasatova, director Sarvesh Ashok Surve, store in-charge Valentina Ganesh Kumar and alleged hawala operator Alpesh Khara.
The EOW in the past carried out searches and have seized and frozen valuables, including cash worth Rs 20 crore in the case.

Eight Ukrainians and a Turkish national are wanted in the case. The Mumbai police recently managed to get an Interpol Blue Corner notice issued against them.

The Ukrainian masterminds of the Torres fraud are suspected to have sent Rs 200 crore abroad, as claimed in the emails sent by alleged whistleblowers to the police and other law enforcement agencies before the matter became public.