Chinese National, Two Others Held in Noida for Alleged Hawala, Shell Company Racket

Noida, Jul 24: The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has arrested three persons, including a Chinese national allegedly living illegally in India after the expiry of his visa, for operating a hawala network and using shell companies to launder money. The accused have been identified as Liao Longhui, a Chinese national residing in Sector 93, Noida, Sanjeev Kumar of Ghaziabad, and Kaushalendra of Auraiya. According to STF officials, the trio was arrested on Wednesday night from Purvanchal Silver City in Sector 93 following an investigation into suspicious financial transactions. Additional Superintendent of Police, STF Noida Unit, Rajkumar Mishra, said the accused allegedly established fake companies in India and China and transferred large sums of money abroad through hawala channels. During the operation, the STF recovered five laptops, nine mobile phones, a tablet, a forged Aadhaar card bearing the name “Samuel Lotha” but carrying Liao’s photograph, two PAN cards, 10 company seals, two Chinese passports, a Chinese identity card, 11 cheque books of different banks, invoices, cheques worth Rs 4.72 crore, and Rs 15,400 in cash. The investigation led officials to YTL Manufacturing Pvt Ltd, a company registered in Noida and allegedly managed by Liao. During questioning, Liao reportedly failed to produce valid visa and company-related documents, prompting a search of his residence, where investigators recovered records linked to several suspected shell companies. According to the STF, Liao arrived in India in 2018 and managed the company established by his father-in-law and brother-in-law. The firm allegedly imported raw materials from China at inflated prices, manufactured mobile phone covers and sold them in Delhi markets through under-invoicing, while routing surplus funds abroad through hawala channels. Investigators alleged that Liao used documents of company employees to establish multiple shell firms, including JNS Infra Heights Pvt Ltd, Refan Enterprises India Pvt Ltd, Tidydesk Essential Pvt Ltd, Z One Enterprises, and Hanuraj Trading Solution Pvt Ltd, to facilitate money laundering. The STF also alleged that chartered accountant Sanjeev Kumar played a key role in incorporating the shell companies and opening bank accounts used for the illegal transactions, while Kaushalendra assisted in running the network. Officials said investigations revealed that Liao’s Indian visa expired in 2020, but he allegedly continued to stay in the country illegally while operating the hawala and money laundering racket. Further investigation is underway.