New Delhi, Sep 4 — The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched a nationwide crackdown on organised syndicates involved in digital arrest crimes, conducting coordinated searches at 89 locations across 20 states under Operation Chakra-VI, the national probe agency said on Friday.
During the operation, the CBI arrested three persons in Haryana and Kolkata for their alleged roles in receiving, layering and dispersing the fraud proceeds, it said.
The CBI has taken over several digital arrest-related cases registered in different states. In three such cases, investigators carried out extensive searches based on detailed financial and technical analysis.
The probe involved scrutiny of bank accounts, online account access data and other digital trails to identify the movement of fraud proceeds and trace the handlers and beneficiaries of the syndicates.
“One of the cases relates to BITS Pilani, where the victim was allegedly kept under digital arrest for three months and defrauded of Rs 7.67 crore by scammers posing as police officers. In another case in Gujarat, a victim was digitally detained for three months by individuals impersonating police officers and allegedly defrauded of Rs 19.24 crore. The third case, registered in Karnataka, involves a victim who was kept under digital arrest for a month and allegedly cheated of Rs 15.45 crore," the CBI said.
The searches resulted in the seizure of banking documents, account-related records, digital devices and other material considered crucial to the investigation.
"The seized evidence is being subjected to forensic examination to establish the broader financial and technological infrastructure used by the syndicates to operate across state boundaries,” said the agency.
The CBI also arrested three accused during the operation. Their examination allegedly revealed their roles in receiving, layering and dispersing the proceeds of the fraud.
According to the agency, Akash, a resident of Haryana, received Rs 1.95 crore of the defrauded money in his bank account.
Investigators found that he had opened the account himself and transferred the funds to other accounts on the same day, indicating his alleged direct involvement in laundering the proceeds.
Raja Karmakar of Kolkata allegedly received Rs 1.5 crore of the fraud proceeds in his firm's account. Jyoti Rani, whose account received part of the defrauded amount, allegedly withdrew some of the money in cash and transferred the remainder to other accounts to conceal its trail, the agency said.
The action comes amid growing concern over the spread of digital arrest fraud, in which cyber criminals impersonate police officers, government officials and other law-enforcement personnel to intimidate victims and force them into transferring large sums of money.
The Supreme Court has also directed the CBI to take concerted action against perpetrators and the wider networks facilitating such crimes.
The CBI said efforts are continuing to identify and apprehend other members of the wider network. Further investigation is underway, with the agency maintaining that it will pursue those involved in digital arrest crimes and organised cybercrime in accordance with the Supreme Court's directions.