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Probe Into Fake BARC Scientists Tracks Crores in Foreign Funds and 40 Overseas Trips

Investigators are reconstructing decades of foreign remittances to test espionage claims.

Overview

  • Police say brothers Akhtar and Adil Hussaini were arrested by Mumbai Crime Branch and Delhi Police Special Cell for impersonating BARC scientists, with an associate held for forging identity documents.
  • Officials report foreign payments dating back to the mid-1990s that grew after 2001, with remittances linked to the United States, Iran and Iraq now being traced through active and closed accounts.
  • A Kotak Mahindra Bank account in Akhtar’s name has been identified, and banks have been asked for transaction records and KYC details to map the money trail.
  • The probe notes roughly 40 international trips on a forged passport, including nearly 20 to Iran and around 15 to Saudi Arabia, as investigators examine possible intelligence links, including suspected ISI contacts.
  • Investigators say Akhtar sent photos he claimed showed an Iranian nuclear site to U.S. contacts for payment, which U.S. agencies later assessed as images from a tourist location.