5 QNet Promoters Arrested in Goa by Hyderabad EOW
Five QNet promoters were arrested in Goa on July 22, 2026. The Hyderabad Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) carried out the arrests.
The suspects are Mohammed Fawaz, Aswin Suresh, Vinu Johnson, Manoj Subbalakshmi, and Varikottuchalil Balraj. They were detained while attending a marketing event in Goa. Additional unnamed suspects remain wanted and are still at large.
The EOW launched the investigation after receiving a complaint from a local QNet victim.
How the Victim Was Targeted
According to a July 23, 2026 report by India Today, the complainant approached police on July 16. He said he was searching for gym space in Hyderabad and Bengaluru when one of the accused contacted him on social media.
The victim was persuaded to travel to Bengaluru on July 9 under the pretext of discussing a business opportunity. The accused and his team introduced him to QNET, also known as Vihaan Direct Selling India Pvt Ltd. They presented it as a legitimate luxury goods business linked to the QI Group.
Police say the victim was pressured to invest 750,000 INR (about $7,772 USD) to join QNet. He also paid another 30,000 INR (about $310 USD) for access to a “Goa leadership event.”
Hyderabad Police Public Advisory
In a public advisory, Hyderabad Police cautioned people against participating in, investing in, promoting, or recruiting members for QNET or similar MLM, pyramid, or money-circulation schemes.
Police noted that these entities promise unrealistically high returns and passive income. They mainly target IT employees, unemployed youth, homemakers, and students.
QNet Background and History in India
QNet launched as QuestNet in 1998 and quickly spread across India. The MLM pyramid scheme is run out of Malaysia by Vijay Eswaran.
Despite being outlawed across India, QNet continues to operate illegally under names such as Vihaan Direct Selling and QI Group.
BehindMLM’s 2017 review of QNet documented earlier enforcement actions:
- In 2013, the EOW froze several bank accounts linked to QNet.
- In 2014, the EOW secured an order prohibiting Vihaan Direct Selling from operating in India.
- In 2016, the Delhi EOW registered its first criminal complaint against QNet and Vihaan Direct Selling.
- Vihaan Direct Selling India majority shareholder Michael Ferreira was arrested in 2016.
- QNet founder Vijay Eswaran, a Malaysian national, remains wanted by Indian authorities.
Continued Enforcement Actions Since 2017
Enforcement efforts against QNet have continued in recent years:
- Seventy victims protested lack of regulatory action in Bengaluru in 2018.
- An Indian QNet victim died by suicide after losing $28,900 in 2019.
- An investigation into commissions owed to 200,000 QNet promoters revealed government corruption and a national security threat in 2019.
- Over 500 individuals, including Indian celebrities, were summoned by the Cyberabad EOW in 2019 to explain public QNet endorsements.
- QNet’s Vihaan Direct Selling India operations were shut down by the Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs in 2019.
- Three QNet promoters were arrested by the Odisha EOW in 2019.
- $11 million tied to QNet’s money-laundering operations in India was frozen in January 2023.
- $16 million linked to QNet was frozen as part of a Hyderabad criminal case in March 2023.
- Three QNet executives were arrested in Hyderabad in May 2023.
- Eighteen QNet scammers were arrested in Jaipur in October 2023.
- The Manipur QNet Victim’s Welfare Association called for stronger action in October 2023.
- A new QNet criminal case was opened in Indore in September 2024.
- India’s Central Consumer Protection Authority issued a QNet fraud warning in December 2024.
- Thirty-two QNet promoters were arrested in Hyderabad in March 2026.
- Three QNet promoters were sentenced to ten years in prison in Andhra Pradesh in March 2026.
QNet Still Active Despite Crackdowns
Despite ongoing efforts to police QNet activity across India, the country remains the top source of QNet recruitment.
As of June 2026, SimilarWeb tracked approximately 237,000 monthly visits to the QNet website. India accounted for 43% of the traffic, followed by Thailand at 8%.
