Operation Chakra-VI: CBI conducts searches 89 locations in 20 states, arrests three in digital arrest cases

The Central Bureau of Investigation CBI has launched a nationwide crackdown on organised syndicates allegedly involved in digital arrest frauds carrying out coordinated searches at 89 locations across 20 states as part of Operation ChakraVI reported the IANSThe agency said on Friday that three people were arrested during the operation in Haryana and Kolkata for their alleged involvement in receiving layering and transferring money obtained through the fraudulent schemesThree digital arrest cases under investigationThe CBI has taken over several cases linked to digital arrest frauds that were originally registered in different statesAs part of the latest operation investigators conducted extensive searches in three cases after analysing financial transactions and technical evidence according to the IANSInvestigators examined bank accounts online account access records and other digital trails to track the movement of allegedly defrauded funds and identify members of the syndicates involvedVictims allegedly cheated of over Rs 42 croreThe three cases involved victims who were allegedly kept under digital arrest for extended periods and cheated of large sums of moneyAccording to the CBI one case involved a victim associated with BITS Pilani who was allegedly kept under digital arrest for three months by scammers posing as police officers and defrauded of Rs 767 crore as per the IANSIn a Gujarat case a victim was allegedly digitally detained for three months by people impersonating police officers and cheated of Rs 1924 croreThe third case registered in Karnataka involved a victim who was allegedly kept under digital arrest for a month and defrauded of Rs 1545 croreTogether the three cases involve alleged fraud of more than Rs 42 croreDigital devices and banking records seizedDuring the searches the CBI seized banking documents accountrelated records digital devices and other material believed to be important to the investigation the news agency reportedThe agency said the seized material is being subjected to forensic examination to establish the wider financial and technological infrastructure allegedly used by the syndicates to operate across state bordersThree accused arrestedThe CBI also arrested three alleged members of the network during the operationTheir questioning reportedly revealed their suspected roles in receiving layering and dispersing the proceeds of the alleged fraudAccording to the agency Akash a Haryana resident received Rs 195 crore of the allegedly defrauded money in his bank accountInvestigators found that he had opened the account himself and transferred the funds to other accounts on the same day The CBI said this indicated his alleged direct involvement in handling the fraud proceeds reported the IANSKolkata firm account allegedly received Rs 15 croreAnother accused Raja Karmakar of Kolkata allegedly received Rs 15 crore of the fraud proceeds in his firms bank account the agency saidThe CBI also arrested Jyoti Rani whose bank account allegedly received part of the defrauded moneyAccording to investigators she allegedly withdrew some of the funds in cash and transferred the remaining amount to other accounts in an attempt to conceal the money trail the news agency reportedSupreme Court directs concerted actionThe nationwide action comes amid growing concern over the spread of digital arrest scamsIn such frauds cybercriminals allegedly impersonate police officers government officials or other lawenforcement personnel and threaten victims with arrest or legal action The victims are then pressured into transferring large amounts of moneyThe Supreme Court has also directed the CBI to take concerted action against those involved in digital arrest frauds and the wider networks facilitating such crimesProbe continues to identify wider networkThe CBI said its investigation is continuing and efforts are being made to identify and apprehend other members of the alleged syndicatesThe agency said it would continue pursuing individuals involved in digital arrest frauds and organised cybercrime in line with the directions of the Supreme Courtwith IANS inputs