Did CBI Achieve Success in Interpol Operation HAECHI-VI by Arresting Eight Criminals?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Operation HAECHI-VI is crucial in fighting cyber-enabled crime.
- Collaboration with international agencies like FBI and German authorities proved effective.
- Eight offenders were apprehended, with 45 suspects identified.
- Significant funds were seized and bank accounts blocked.
- Cyber-enabled crime networks represent a serious threat to public safety.
New Delhi, Oct 7 (NationPress) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced on Tuesday its significant involvement in Operation HAECHI-VI, initiated by Interpol, which focuses on seven distinct categories of crime: cyber-enabled financial crime, voice phishing, love/romance scams, online sextortion, investment fraud, money laundering linked to illegal online gambling, business email compromise, and e-commerce fraud.
As a result of Operation HAECHI-VI, the International Operations Division of CBI collaborated closely with the FBI, the US Department of Justice, and German law enforcement to apprehend eight offenders and identify 45 suspects involved in transnational cyber-enabled financial crimes, including the exploitation of minor girls for sexual offences online.
A total of USD 66,340 was seized from the offenders, and 30 bank accounts implicated in the crimes were blocked,” stated the agency in its press release.
“Acting on intelligence from the FBI and the US Department of Justice, CBI detained two offenders who were targeting minor girls in the US via social media, coercing them into sharing obscene images/videos,” the agency elaborated.
Additionally, under the guidance of the FBI, CBI dismantled a network of cyber-enabled transnational financial crime operating through illegal call centers in New Delhi and Amritsar, which targeted US citizens under false identities, defrauding them with bogus tech support services.
Similarly, based on information from German authorities, CBI successfully dismantled another cyber-enabled crime network run from an illegal call center in Siliguri, Darjeeling, targeting German nationals.
The agency emphasized in its press note that “Cyber-enabled crime networks pose a significant threat to the safety of citizens.”
During Operation HAECHI-VI, CBI effectively identified and acted against organized technology-enabled crime networks in precise coordination with INTERPOL and international law enforcement agencies.
This operation has led to substantial disruption and dismantling of major transnational cyber-enabled crime networks, according to the agency.