NEW DELHI: In a major breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday succeeded in getting extradited fugitive economic offender Angad Singh Chandok from the United States (US) to India, officials said. Chandok has been wanted by agencies in connection with a high-profile bank fraud and money laundering case and has been absconding for a long time. He was deported by the US authorities and landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport early Saturday morning, the officials said.Soon after his arrival CBI sleuths took him under custody. He is expected to be produced before a special CBI court later in the day, where the agency is likely to seek his custodial remand for further interrogation, they said.Chandok’s return marks an important milestone in India’s efforts to crack down on economic fugitives, who escape justice by fleeing the country. It also highlights the growing collaboration between Indian and international law enforcement agencies, especially with the US, in addressing financial crimes that have cross-border implications, the officials said.Chandok, 34, was sentenced to six years in prison by a US court in 2022. “The court had convicted Chandhok in connection with large-scale online fraud wherein he and his associates posed as tech support providers, deceiving victims into transferring substantial sums of money. According to a March 2022 press statement from the US Department of Justice, he was sentenced to six years in prison for his role in the scheme,” said an official.According to the ruling, Chandok created and used multiple shell companies to launder millions of dollars obtained through fraudulent means – initially via an online tech support scam and later through a fake online travel fee scheme.His deportation is expected to strengthen India’s resolve in pursuing economic offenders and bringing them to justice, regardless of their location, the officials said.
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