What Are the Details of Operation Chakra-V? CBI Conducts Nationwide Searches in Digital Arrest Case
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The CBI executed nationwide searches at 40 locations.
- Operation Chakra V targets cyber-enabled digital arrest fraud.
- Investigation revealed a network of individuals involved in the fraud.
- Advanced technology played a crucial role in tracing criminal activities.
- The operation emphasizes the CBI's commitment to combating cybercrime.
New Delhi, Oct 8 (NationPress) With the surge in cases of digital arrests, the CBI executed synchronized, nationwide searches at around 40 locations spanning Delhi NCR, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kerala, and West Bengal on Wednesday. This operation is part of the ongoing Operation Chakra V and pertains to a transnational cyber-enabled "digital arrest" fraud.
The central agency disclosed in its press statement that it had filed a detailed FIR after receiving complaints from nine victims through the NCRP Portal of I4C MHA.
According to the CBI, the agency undertook an in-depth investigation focusing on both mule accounts and telecommunications methods used to contact victims. This inquiry led to the identification of approximately 40 individuals involved in the organized cybercrime network executing the digital arrest fraud.
During the operation, the CBI uncovered a significant domestic facilitation network engaged in supplying mule bank accounts and facilitating parallel hawala channels for the layering and movement of the proceeds of crime.
The investigation disclosed that some of the money had been withdrawn within India, while the rest was transferred abroad for withdrawal from foreign ATMs.
“Analysis of over 15,000 IP addresses indicated that the perpetrators of these digital arrest frauds were conducting operations from foreign territories, including Cambodia, while utilizing Indian mule account holders to manage the layering and integration of the proceeds of crime,” the statement noted.
The network was found to facilitate high-value fund transfers through coordinated mules and money transfer agents, with rapid movement of funds executed using advanced Fintech infrastructure.
The agency further remarked that the ‘Digital Devices, KYC documents, SIM cards, and WhatsApp communication records seized during the searches are under examination to establish comprehensive linkages among domestic facilitators and primary conspirators and to chart out the modus operandi, financial pathways, and communication frameworks employed in the crime.”
This underscores the CBI’s dedication to tackling cyber-enabled financial crimes through persistent intelligence-driven operations, inter-agency collaboration, and the application of advanced digital forensics to counteract intricate transnational fraud networks.