Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing a sprawling fake call centre network dismantled in Igatpuri in August 2025, which allegedly operated under the protection of an Inspector General of Police (IGP)-rank officer of the Maharashtra Police, considered one of the masterminds. The officer, with significant political clout, reportedly provided protection and logistical support to the syndicate, which allegedly had links across multiple districts and possible political backing.

Sources indicate the IG-rank officer exercised influence within the political and police hierarchy, allegedly controlling IPS postings, overseeing promotions, and directing the relocation and operations of illegal call centres. The network had a hierarchical, corporate-style structure involving officers from the IG-level oversight down to constables. It even maintained an internal “crisis management team” led by SP-rank officers and extending to local crime branch units and station-level officials. This setup allegedly ensured quick responses to enforcement actions, allowing the multi-crore operation to continue unhindered.    

Investigators believe the network first took root around 2020–21 in Palghar district, where three fake call centres allegedly operated under the shield of a senior Superintendent of Police (SP)-rank officer in areas like Saphale, Wada, and Mokhada. Each centre boasted 25-30 “desks,” with operators paying Rs 1-2 lakh per table in monthly protection fees, generating Rs 10-15 lakh daily per table through frauds peddling fake Viagra, Amazon gift cards, credit card scams, and bogus ayurvedic products.The operation relied on advanced digital tools, cloud servers, e-commerce gateways, and VPNs to target international victims. A significant portion of illicit proceeds reportedly flowed via hawala networks to senior police brass, including IG-level officials. 

The Palghar network expanded further in 2022. The officer, then a Superintendent of Police (SP) and now the IG in question, was promoted and posted as Joint Head of Law and Order in Thane, assuming a senior supervisory role. Soon after, in April 2022, a newly promoted IPS officer from Palghar, who controlled the three call centres, joined him as Additional Commissioner of Police (Addl CP) in Thane. These two senior officers, allegedly in collusion with a DCP-rank promotee IPS officer, facilitated the relocation of the Palghar network to Thane in June 2022. Operational control of the syndicate allegedly remained with the same core team,  led by absconding accused Sandeep Singh and arrested accused Vishal Yadav, both of whom were later linked to the Igatpuri call centre network busted by the CBI on August 8 this year.   

Later that year,a DCP-rank officer transferred to Mira Road allegedly shifted one Thane-based call centre to the Mira Road–Vasai–Virar (MBVV) jurisdiction. By the end of 2022, three units operated across Thane and MBVV, with senior officers allegedly collecting substantial protection payments. Sources described these relocations as strategic, designed to evade law enforcement, rather than routine precautions.   

A senior officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was a calculated strategy, allegedly orchestrated with the involvement of senior IPS officers. All logistical requirements for leasing premises, including forged KYC documents and advance cash rentals, were reportedly arranged through middlemen.  The officer added that this process would not have been possible without police links, particularly the blessings of senior officials. By shifting premises, changing internet providers, SIM cards, and IP addresses, the operators effectively erased digital footprints, evading law enforcement while recruiting unsuspecting employees under new identities. 

Investigation findings suggest that this syndicate of uniform and fake call centre operations allegedly generated crores of rupees annually over the past few years, functioning through a meticulously organised system of fund collection, distribution, and laundering. Lower-rank officers, identified as Khade, Patil, and Nimde, are alleged to have acted as intermediaries, collecting protection money and funneling it through hawala agents, who then reportedly routed the funds to senior officers. Both senior and junior police officers are now reportedly under CBI scrutiny.   

The network reportedly continued to operate even as senior officers changed postings. In June 2024, the senior Thane officer was promoted and transferred to Special Inspector General (IG) of Nashik Range. During his absence, the Additional CP-rank IPS officer reportedly faced challenges in managing the operations  but remained active.In May 2025, the IG-rank officer allegedly ensured the transfer of the Additional CP-rank officer from Thane to a prime position in the MBVV Commissionerate. Following this move, the Thane units were allegedly shuttered and quickly re-established in the new MBVV jurisdiction. 

  The establishment of a new fake call centre in Mira Road faced resistance from an active syndicate led by Sadik, whose network was already operational in the MBVV region, defrauding U.S. citizens. A raid on May 26, 2025 by MBVV police, dismantled Sadik’s network. Although the Additional CP’s unit continued operations briefly, it was eventually shut down due to conflicts with Sadik’s group. Despite his alleged involvement in the syndicate, the Additional CP remains in service and currently heads the Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the DGP to probe a controversial custodial death (or ‘encounter killing’) case.

Central agency sources revealed that even after the IG’s promotion and transfer to Nashik, the call centre operations remained under his control. Units in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Raigad, and Karjat were managed by trusted officers under the supervision of some of his close promotee IPS officers.A few months after he assumed charge in Nashik, these call centres were allegedly shifted back to his jurisdiction, ensuring that the operations continued under his oversight, with substantial amounts of protection money reportedly collected regularly.

The CBI has seized extensive digital evidence, including call logs, server data, and financial transactions, which may establish a direct chain of command between operators and high-ranking officers. Several senior officials are under investigation. “The probe is at a critical stage,” said an official familiar with the case. “We are uncovering the anatomy of an organised racket that operated under the very noses of those meant to stop it.”