Bengaluru Police Book 7 In ₹92 Crore Foreign Funds Laundering, Naxal Funding Case | File Pic (Representational Image)
Bengaluru: Bengaluru police have booked seven persons, including four from Karnataka and a US based The Timothy Initiative (TTI) Christian missionary in connection with money laundering using foreign debit cards and funding Naxal activities across the country to the tune of ₹ 92 crore. Based on a complaint lodged by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), which had raided the organisation in April, the Kothanur police have registered case against TTI, Jonathan S RAjan, Mika Marks, Ajith Verghese Mathai, Supreme Joy of Karnataka, Verghese Chako of Chhattisgarh and Bablu Kurmi of Assam under sections of BNS pertaining to conspiracy, fraud and creating fake documents.In April, during a raid by the ED, it was revealed that more than ₹ 95 crore of foreign funds had been fraudulently laundered. It was revealed that over 1000 debit cards were issued in the name of Santhosh from USA Truist Bank and had been distributed across Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Assam and had received over ₹ 44 crore. The ED officials traced 24 debit cards with Mika Marks, which were used in Chhattisgarh. During interrogation of Ajith Verghese Mathai, it was revealed that they were handling the finances of shell companies in Bengaluru also. Since the funds transactions had taken place in Kothanur, the ED officials registered a case there.
The ED officials had intercepted Mika Marks in BIAL on April 18 and had recovered the 24 debit cards of USA Truist Bank. He used to frequently fly between India and the US and always got debit cards. He was managing the finances of a US based TTI missionary in India and always got the debit cards in the name of Santhosh Kumar ( anonymous).
As per directions of Ajith Verghese, the anonymous person used to hide the original documents and has distributed over 1000 debit cards in India. In the entire transactions, over ₹ 6.34 crore has been taken back and the group had deleted data in the cloud app, the complaint stated.