The fraudsters would make threats over these calls and extort money from people by saying they could lose their citizenship or be arrested, police added. (Representational)

THE MUMBAI Police crime branch on Wednesday arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly running a call centre from where calls were made to US, Canadian citizens so as to cheat them. Rs 40 lakh and gold biscuits worth Rs 10 lakh were discovered in his bank locker, police said.

Police identified the accused as Nishant Shirsikar, who was arrested from his Malad residence. An officer said Shirsikar was one of the key members of an international racket operating from several Indian cities using call centres and, at times, residential properties.

Police said the accused would get data of US citizens from data brokers, and then call them claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service or US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The fraudsters would make threats over these calls and extort money from people by saying they could lose their citizenship or be arrested, police added.