MUMBAI: The Malad police on Thursday arrested a woman, who was wanted in an alleged multi-crore fraud case for four months. She had established an office in Malad and allegedly lured 38 unemployed men with promises of jobs in Gulf countries and cheated them all to the tune of ₹2 crore.

The woman, Ekta Avinash Ayre, also known as Drishti or Manisha, worked with two accomplices – Aman Kamlamiya Sheikh and Jigneshkumar Rathwa – who have also been declared wanted accused in this case and are absconding. The trio forged visas and job appointment letters in the victims’ names and demanded heavy fees. Senior Police Inspector Drushyant Chavan of Malad police station stated that after the fraud, the gang locked up the company and fled.

Sheikh, Rathwa, and Ayre started a bogus company in a shopping mall in Malad. They advertised extensively on social media, with a sign-up link, about the availability of various positions abroad. The gang also posted several positive testimonials about the company to gain their target’s trust. As a result, many unemployed men from Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, and other cities signed up for their services, both online and in person, for positions such as kitchen staff, drivers, housekeeping staff, storekeepers, security guards, etc., in renowned hotels abroad. Along with these applications, they submitted their passports for processing.

The men were then asked by the fraudsters to deposit money into the company’s bank account for registration fees, visa, medical, and various other charges. Each candidate was thus charged ₹4.5 to 5 lakh.

A few days later, the victims received their job appointment letters and visas online. The complainant told the police that after verifying the documents, he learnt that all those documents were fake.

Along with the complainant, several others reached the Malad office only to realise that the accused had fled and abandoned the space. Around 38 men approached the Malad Police four months ago. After recording their statements, the police registered a case of embezzlement and fraud against the accused related to the company.

Chavan said he took the case seriously and had the crime team investigate it. The police launched a special operation to apprehend the absconding accused. During this search operation, Ayre was detained. During interrogation, the police learnt that some of the defrauded money had been transferred to her bank account, confirming her involvement in the crime.

Ayre had applied for anticipatory bail in the sessions court, which was cancelled. She was arrested and produced before the Borivali magistrate’s court, where she was then remanded to police custody.