New Delhi, 11 June (H.S.): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday successfully secured the extradition of fugitive cyber fraud accused Ganesh Balaso Kale from Thailand. Kale, who was wanted in connection with a cyber fraud case, was detained by Thai authorities in Bangkok on May 24 and was deported to India on June 10 after the completion of legal formalities.

CBI officials escorted the accused to India and arrived in Mumbai on Thursday. Following his arrival, Kale was taken into custody by the Cyber Cell of the Maharashtra Police for further investigation and legal proceedings.

According to the CBI, Kale is accused of orchestrating an online fraud scheme in which victims were lured with promises of part-time employment opportunities and persuaded to invest money under false pretences. Investigators allege that he subsequently cheated the victims and misappropriated their funds.

The agency further stated that Kale operated a network that recruited unsuspecting individuals and used their bank accounts to facilitate the transfer of illicit funds. He is also accused of directing co-conspirators to procure mobile phones and fraudulent SIM cards to support the cybercrime operation.

The CBI said that the investigation into the case is continuing and additional aspects of the alleged fraud network are being examined.

The agency credited the successful extradition to close coordination among the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Embassy of India in Thailand. According to the CBI, the accused was located and brought back to India within just 20 days of the issuance of an Interpol Red Corner Notice, highlighting the effectiveness of international cooperation in combating transnational cybercrime.

The agency added that further legal action will be taken in accordance with the ongoing investigation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar