Some have been forced to sell homes, find employment interstate, work seven days a week and pull their children out of private schools. Vitamins giant Blackmores has also launched action against Mr Puthenpurackal's business in the Supreme Court of NSW. A Blackmores spokeswoman refused to provide details about their dispute or the damages being pursued. However, Mr Puthenpurackal strenuously denies owing money to disgruntled clients or to Blackmores and, in some cases, has lodged counter-claims alleging that he is owed millions of dollars. His lawyer, Jules Marra at SGM Legal, has accused one of Mr Puthenpurackal's creditors of using underworld figure Mick Gatto in a failed bid to claw back the alleged debts. Mick Gatto. Credit:Jason South

On May 9, 2019, Mr Puthenpurackal received an SMS message from Mr Gatto. "Alex we want to have a coffee with you, sort all this stuff out with you. You said you would call but you have not as yet," Mr Gatto purportedly said in the message. Mr Gatto declined to comment when contacted by The Age. However, Mr Puthenpurackal's former clients have emphatically denied making any contact with the underworld figure. In court documents and a sworn statement to police, Chinese businessman Jie Li claims that in June 2017 he was instructed by Mr Puthenpurackal to make prepayments on all orders because "that was the way wholesale worked".

But within months, Mr Li claims the stock delivered could not be reconciled with payments. Between February 2017 and August 2018, Mr Jie's company paid $42,366,881 to Mr Puthenpurackal's company, but claims in a Supreme Court writ that he only received stock to the value of $37,593,900. In an email dated August 6 last year, Mr Puthenpurackal, who also uses the name Alex Jestin, appears to admit that a debt is owed to Mr Li, before outlining a repayment plan for $5.4 million in four instalments. A report by forensic accountants commissioned by Mr Li found more than $5.2 million worth of stock was not delivered. Mr Li says he has never had any contact with Mr Gatto. "My wife and I are devastated. We don't know what to do. We have lost our life savings, we've lost her parents' savings. We've been forced to sell two homes, and will have to take the kids out of school. We feel totally betrayed," Mr Li told The Age.

Mr Puthenpurackal and his lawyer Mr Marra have a different version of events and intend to "vigorously defend the claims made against him and has issued substantial counter-claims". "Our client has made repeated attempts to resolve disputes by inviting parties to cooperative independent audits. These invitations have been consistently refused," Mr Marra said. "As there is ongoing litigation about these matters it is inappropriate to comment any further," he said. However, SLF Lawyers partner John Gdanski, who is representing several creditors, has accused Mr Puthenpurackal and his lawyer of deliberately delaying attempts at mediation. Mr Gdanski represents Chinese-born businesswoman Vivian Luan, who has also issued a legal writ in the Victorian Supreme Court over claims she is owed a refund of $895,786 on vitamins and skin-care products that were never received.