Nehal Modi, younger brother of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi and co-accused in the ₹13,000-crore Punjab National Bank fraud case, has been taken into custody in the US following extradition requests by India, sources in the security establishment said on Saturday.

Nehal, a Belgian national, is alleged to have assisted his brother in concealing and transferring large sums of illicit funds through a web of shell companies and overseas transactions in violation of Indian laws. He also allegedly played a role in helping Nirav destroy key evidence, intimidate witnesses, and obstruct the investigation in the aftermath of the scandal.

Nirav and his uncle, and fellow diamantaire Mehul Choksi, are accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank out of ₹13,000 crore, one of the largest banking scams in the country. They had fled India in January 2018 amid a huge political controversy, days before the CBI had registered an FIR against the duo.

Sources said Nehal was arrested on Friday by local authorities, acting on the extradition requests by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) — the two agencies that are probing the PNB fraud case.

“Born and brought up in Antwerp, Belgium, and fluent in English, Gujarati, and Hindi, Nehal is wanted in India for laundering proceeds of crime on behalf of his brother, Nirav Modi. The next date of hearing in the extradition proceedings is scheduled for July 17,” said an ED official.

“He was named in the chargesheet filed by the ED and was charged with destruction of evidence and knowingly and intentionally assisting Nirav Modi in his alleged illegal acts,” the official said.