Mumbai: PMLA Court Issues Non-Bailable Warrants Against 4, Including 3 Ukrainians, In ₹177-Crore Torres Scam

Mumbai: The special PMLA court has issued non-bailable warrants against four persons, including three Ukrainian nationals, in a money laundering case linked to the Torres scam, as they remain untraceable.

The ED, which is probing money laundering to the tune of Rs177 crore wherein thousands of investors have been cheated, sought non-bailable warrants against Oleksandr Zapichenko, alias Alex, and Olena Stoian, allegedly key architects in the laundering operations of M/s Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd, along with Viktoria Kovalenko, director of Platinum Hern, holding 99.95% shares, all Ukrainian nationals.

Additionally, the agency sought a non-bailable warrant against Andheri resident Sagar Mehta, who is found to be involved in the scam but is alleged to have fled the country on December 24, 2024, and is suspected to be in Dubai. The agency stated that summons issued through the special court were affixed to the doors of their last known addresses, but the accused could not be found.

The ED submitted that they have not cooperated in the investigation and failed to respond to the summons, evading arrest in connection with a serious non-bailable economic offence. Therefore, it is necessary to issue non-bailable warrants against these accused. The court, after hearing the ED’s pleadings, stated, “There are allegations of money laundering involving huge proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 177 crore, and many investors have suffered losses due to the actions of the accused. The record shows that the accused are evading arrest. They are involved in a serious non-bailable offence of money laundering and are evading their arrest.

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