AHMEDABAD: The arrest of a 25-year-old youth from Gujarat in the US has uncovered a startling transnational money trail. The student, held for duping an elderly couple from Michigan couple of $50,000, is believed to have routed the stolen amount to India through angadia (courier) and forex companies based in Ahmedabad. Investigators believe this scheme could run far deeper, pointing to a disturbing new trend where young Indians, many on student visas, are being used as the new foot soldiers in global fraud operations. "With increasing scrutiny back home, these operatives from Gujarat have begun orchestrating similar cons directly from within the US, often using Indian students whom they either lure with incentives or threaten into joining their schemes," said authorities in the know."These operatives and firms, many of whom previously ran illegal call centres in Gujarat to target and defraud US citizens, are using these students as mules. The stolen cash is allegedly transferred to India through informal hawala channels, often using angadia firms. Some forex companies in Ahmedabad are also under the scanner," said an official here close to the development. According to the police of Shelby Township in Michigan, the 25-year-old suspect, residing illegally in the Toledo area of Ohio, contacted the elderly couple through email on April 5, 2025.

He informed them that they had pending fraudulent charges related to child pornography on their credit card. Posing as an agent of the US Treasury Department, he convinced the couple to withdraw $50,000 in cash and place it in a box, which he would collect personally.

Two days later, the suspect rented a car, drove to their residence, and collected the box of cash. He instructed the couple not to inform anyone about the transaction.The suspect was tracked by US officials using surveillance data from the FLOCK camera system, e-mail trails and phone and transport data. They identified the youth as the one who picked up the cash. The accused from North Gujarat, was arrested in April and is currently under federal investigation for similar frauds targeting senior citizens. The student, enrolled in a top Gandhinagar university, had travelled to Ontario in 2023 under a student exchange programme, said officials.

He later illegally entered the US. While investigators tracked him down, they uncovered a disturbing twist: he had already sent the money to India, and some operatives in Ahmedabad are believed to have received the funds. Sources said that angadia firms are likely to have been used to facilitate the money transfer. The suspect was taken into custody in Toledo, Ohio, on April 30 and extradited to Michigan. He was arraigned on May 5 at the 41-A District Court, where his bond was set at $100,000 cash surety. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed a detainer on him. He faces two felony charges: one for false pretences involving amounts over $50,000 and another for larceny over $20,000.