New Delhi, September 6 (Daily Kiran) : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has intensified its efforts against cybercrime with the recent arrests of five additional suspects as part of Operation Chakra-6. This operation targets digital arrest scams, and the total number of arrests has now reached eight. The CBI stated that these arrests represent a significant breakthrough in exposing the organized network behind these fraudulent activities.
This crackdown is part of a nationwide campaign against digital arrest gangs. Previously, the CBI conducted coordinated raids across 89 locations in 20 states, complying with directives from the Supreme Court of India. The court had expressed serious concerns over the rising incidents of digital arrest crimes and instructed strict action against the perpetrators.
Among the major cases involved, one originates from BITS Pilani, where a victim was held in digital arrest for three months, resulting in a fraudulent loss of ₹7.67 crore. Another case from Gujarat saw a victim similarly deceived out of ₹19.24 crore over three months, while a third case from Karnataka involved a victim losing ₹15.45 crore after being held for one month.
Initially, the CBI arrested three suspects: Akash from Haryana, Raja Karmakar from Kolkata, and Jyoti Rani. Investigations revealed that these individuals facilitated the transfer of fraudulently obtained funds through various bank accounts and played a role in money laundering.
In the latest operation, the CBI apprehended Indication Bastwar and Pankaj Damade, both residents of Itarsi. They allegedly utilized a fraudulent bank account to receive and transfer the scam proceeds, complicating tracking efforts.
Additionally, three more individuals were arrested: Arif, also known as King Bhai, Harish Purushottam Yadav, known as Harry, from New Delhi, and Shashank Singh, known as Ravi, from Ghaziabad. They are accused of organizing bank accounts to facilitate the receipt and transfer of the fraudulent money.
The investigation revealed that Arif, Harry, and Shashank had installed a malicious APK file on the mobile phone of a bank account holder. This allowed them to intercept SMS alerts from the bank, enabling covert management of the account. The CBI believes that a large, organized cybercrime network is behind these activities, and further inquiries are ongoing.
Following these arrests, the focus of the investigation has shifted to understanding the entire network’s operations, tracking the flow of funds, and identifying other accomplices. The agency is also actively searching for remaining fugitives involved in the scheme.
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