Ahmedabad: A Shahibaug-based angadia operator has alleged that he was cheated of ₹3 crore by five people who allegedly promised to use their “high-level contacts” in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to secure the release of ₹11 crore seized during an ED search.

According to an FIR registered by the Ahmedabad crime branch on Tuesday, the 59-year-old businessman was approached after the ED raided his firm’s Navrangpura office in December 2024. A Chandlodia resident allegedly claimed he could arrange a settlement with ED officials and later introduced the complainant to a Gota-based lawyer, who allegedly said around 40% of the seized amount would be needed to resolve the matter.

Believing their assurances, the complainant and his partners allegedly paid around ₹3 crore through angadia consignments and cash between December 2024 and July 2025. Police said the payments were routed to individuals in Ahmedabad and Mumbai using coded currency-note tokens, allegedly to settle matters with agencies including the ED, CBI, and ATS.

The accused also allegedly got the complainant to sign a notarised agreement showing a fictitious ₹13.2 crore investment by a jewellery firm and collected two signed blank cheques. He later received a legal notice demanding repayment of the amount with 9% annual interest.

When the seized cash was not released and the money was not returned, the businessman approached the crime branch. Police have booked five people, including a Chandlodia resident, a Gota-based lawyer, a Nava Vadaj resident, and two Mumbai residents, for cheating, criminal breach of trust, and criminal conspiracy. DeshGujarat