Noida: A major online pornography racket, operating with massive foreign funding, has been uncovered in Noida, involving a couple, Ujjwal Kishore and Neelu Srivastava. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently raided the couple’s residence, leading to the discovery of Rs 15.66 crore in illegal foreign funds. The racket, which has been operating for over five years, spanned multiple countries and involved adult entertainment websites.
Couple Linked to International Adult Entertainment Operations
According to ED sources, Ujjwal Kishore and Neelu Srivastava were connected to a Cyprus-based company named Technius Limited. The company is known for running popular adult entertainment platforms like Xhamster and Stripchat. The couple used this company to facilitate large-scale financial transactions. They allegedly misrepresented the purpose codes in their bank transactions, falsely labeling them as payments for advertising and market research. This manipulation allowed them to transfer funds internationally without raising suspicion.
The couple’s operation was extensive, involving the use of cryptocurrency to receive payments from customers. This tactic helped them conceal the illegal nature of their activities. During the investigation, the ED also discovered a bank account in the Netherlands that had received Rs 7 crore from Technius Limited. These funds were later withdrawn in cash through international debit cards in India. The authorities have confirmed that the couple played a significant role in laundering money through these channels.
Models Recruited through Social Media for Adult Content Production
The couple’s recruitment tactics were highly organized, primarily using social media platforms, especially Facebook, to attract women for modeling opportunities. They created a page named ‘echato dot com,’ which advertised lucrative modeling jobs. This attracted many women from the Delhi-NCR region, promising high salaries ranging from Rs 1 to 2 lakh per month.
However, upon arriving at the couple’s flat in Noida for auditions, these women were lured into participating in the pornography racket. The couple’s flat was found to be equipped with a professional webcam studio used to stream adult content online. The ED raid revealed the setup, which included high-tech broadcasting facilities used to stream content for popular adult platforms such as OnlyFans. Three women were found working in the studio during the raid, connected online at the time of the investigation.
The models were tasked with performing various acts based on the payment categories selected by customers. These acts ranged from half-face shows and full-face shows to full nudity, with customers purchasing tokens to access these services. The revenue model heavily favored the couple, with them taking 75% of the earnings while only 25% was shared with the models.
Couple’s Previous Involvement in Similar Rackets
Further investigation into Ujjwal Kishore revealed his previous involvement in a similar adult entertainment racket in Russia before he relocated to India and started this operation with his wife. The couple’s activities were reportedly well-coordinated, with a clear focus on exploiting young women for online adult content production, leveraging both local and international platforms to generate significant revenue.
The ED’s ongoing investigation is expected to uncover more details, as it is believed that thousands of women may have been recruited into the racket over the years. The authorities are focusing on tracing the full extent of the couple’s operations and financial dealings, both in India and internationally.
This bust highlights the growing issue of illegal adult content operations and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals across borders.
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