Torres Jewellery scam: Mumbai police makes 6th arrest, nabs Ukrainian actor Armen Ataine
Torres Jewellery scam: Mumbai police on Tuesday arrested a Ukrainian actor, Armen Ataine, in connection with the multi-crore Torres jewellery scam. An Economic Offences Wing (EOW) official said Armen Ataine is accused of assisting the alleged Ukrainian masterminds involved in the case, as reported by the news agency PTI.
Hundreds of people were cheated in the Torres Jewellery scam after they were promised high investment returns.
“Ataine was apprehended on Tuesday from Malvani, a western suburb, after his role in the case came to light,” PTI quoted an official as saying. With the arrest of the latest suspect, the total number of people apprehended in the case stands at six. This comes three days after EOW arrested the absconding accused and self-proclaimed ‘whistleblower,’ Tausef Reyaz, who is Platinum Hern CEO, the newspaper Mid-Day reported.
According to officials, the Ukrainian actor acted as the prime link between the Ukrainians and Indians, introducing the former to the latter. Notably, Armen Ataine participated in the first two important meetings for opening Torres stores in Mumbai. He reportedly played a key role in conducting all the meetings.
Armen Ataine, in collaboration with another Ukrainian national, played an instrumental role in conspiring to lure investors for attractive returns. The jewellery company used a combination of Ponzi and multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes to defraud investors of crores of rupees. Thousands of investors were duped over ₹57 crore rupees after they invested in these schemes.
Other three idividuals who have been detained in the case include south Mumbai resident Sarvesh Ashok Surve (30); an Uzbek national Tania alias Tazagul Karaxanovna Xasatova (52); and a Russian national Valentina Ganesh Kumar (44).
What Torres’ official YouTube account said?
According to Torres’ official YouTube account, a coup led by its CEO carried out a robbery at the company’s showrooms. The video posted on January 10 states, “Under the leadership of two Torres employees, CEO Tausif Reyaz and Chief Analyst Abhishek Gupta, a coup was organised in the team tonight, and Torres stores were robbed on January 5.”
The footage shows Torres store being vandalised and robbed. As per the voiceover, the individuals involved acted as “accomplices” of Reyaz and Gupta. Alerting the customers the caption to the post states, “The crime was recorded by our cameras! There are hundreds of witnesses! The police caught the criminals at the scene. The identities of the employees involved have been established!”
