Non-Bailable Warrants Issued in Rs 177 Crore Jewellery Scam

A special PMLA court has issued non-bailable warrants against four individuals, including three Ukrainians, in a significant money laundering probe related to the Rs 177 crore Torres Jewellery scam. These actions underscore the severity of the economic offence, which has adversely impacted investors and the wider socio-economic fabric.

Accusations extend to the operators of Platinum Hern Private Limited, trading as Torres Jewellery, who reportedly defrauded customers by converting collected funds through hawala into USDT cryptocurrency, rather than conducting legitimate business transactions. The ED has linked this case to an FIR in Navi Mumbai.

The Enforcement Directorate is actively pursuing absconding accused Sagar Mehta and others, including Ukrainian nationals Oleksandr Zapichenko, Olena Stoian, and Viktoria Kovalenko, for their substantial roles in laundering illicit funds. The court emphasized the need for non-bailable warrants to ensure effective investigation and prosecution of this grave economic crime.