04 September,2026 05:23 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
The CBI said its investigation is continuing and efforts are being made to identify and apprehend other members of the alleged syndicates. File Pic/AFP
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 Chakra-VI, reported the IANS.
The 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 schemes.
The CBI has taken over several cases linked to digital arrest frauds that were originally registered in different states.
As part of the latest operation, investigators conducted extensive searches in three cases after analysing financial transactions and technical evidence, according to the IANS.
Investigators 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 involved.
The three cases involved victims who were allegedly kept under digital arrest for extended periods and cheated of large sums of money.
According 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 7.67 crore, as per the IANS.
In a Gujarat case, a victim was allegedly digitally detained for three months by people impersonating police officers and cheated of Rs 19.24 crore.
The third case, registered in Karnataka, involved a victim who was allegedly kept under digital arrest for a month and defrauded of Rs 15.45 crore.
Together, the three cases involve alleged fraud of more than Rs 42 crore.
During the searches, the CBI seized banking documents, account-related records, digital devices and other material believed to be important to the investigation, the news agency reported.
The 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 borders.
The CBI also arrested three alleged members of the network during the operation.
Their questioning reportedly revealed their suspected roles in receiving, layering and dispersing the proceeds of the alleged fraud.
According to the agency, Akash, a Haryana resident, received Rs 1.95 crore of the allegedly 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. The CBI said this indicated his alleged direct involvement in handling the fraud proceeds, reported the IANS.
Another accused, Raja Karmakar of Kolkata, allegedly received Rs 1.5 crore of the fraud proceeds in his firm's bank account, the agency said.
The CBI also arrested Jyoti Rani, whose bank account allegedly received part of the defrauded money.
According 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 reported.
The nationwide action comes amid growing concern over the spread of digital arrest scams.
In such frauds, cybercriminals allegedly impersonate police officers, government officials or other law-enforcement personnel and threaten victims with arrest or legal action. The victims are then pressured into transferring large amounts of money.
The Supreme Court has also directed the CBI to take concerted action against those involved in digital arrest frauds and the wider networks facilitating such crimes.
The CBI said its investigation is continuing and efforts are being made to identify and apprehend other members of the alleged syndicates.
The agency said it would continue pursuing individuals involved in digital arrest frauds and organised cybercrime in line with the directions of the Supreme Court.
(with IANS inputs)
