CBI arrests five more in digital arrest cases

New Delhi, Sep 6: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested five more accused persons in its ongoing nationwide crackdown against organised “Digital Arrest” frauds under Operation Chakra-VI, taking the total number of persons apprehended in the three cases to eight.
The latest arrests mark a significant development in the investigation into organised cybercrime networks involved in receiving, layering and dispersing money allegedly obtained from victims through digital arrest scams.
The CBI had earlier conducted coordinated searches at 89 locations across 20 States in connection with three major digital arrest cases. The searches were carried out under the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, which had taken serious note of the alarming scale of digital arrest crimes and directed the agency to take decisive action against perpetrators and the wider networks facilitating such offences.
According to the CBI, one of the three cases relates to BITS Pilani, where a victim was allegedly kept under digital arrest for three months and defrauded of approximately Rs. 7.67 crore by scammers impersonating police officers.
In another case in Gujarat, a victim was similarly kept under digital arrest for three months and allegedly defrauded of Rs. 19.24 crore. The third case, originating from Karnataka, involved a victim who was digitally arrested for about a month and allegedly cheated of Rs. 15.45 crore.
The earlier searches had resulted in the arrest of three accused persons — Akash of Haryana, who allegedly received Rs. 1.95 crore of the defrauded amount into an account he had opened himself and subsequently moved the money; Raja Karmakar of Kolkata, into whose firm’s account approximately Rs. 1.5 crore of the fraud proceeds was allegedly routed; and Jyoti Rani, who allegedly withdrew part of the credited money in cash and transferred the remaining amount onward.
The CBI said these actions established their alleged direct and knowing involvement in laundering the proceeds of the fraud.
Building on the investigation, the CBI has now arrested Sanket Bastwar and Pankaj Damade, both from Itarsi, along with Arif @ King Bhai, Harish Purushottam Yadav @ Harry of New Delhi, and Shashank Singh @ Ravi of Gwalior, Uttar Pradesh.
According to the agency, Sanket Bastwar and Pankaj Damade allegedly obtained a bank account, received the proceeds of the digital arrest fraud into it and actively participated in dispersing the money to conceal its trail.
The investigation has further revealed that Arif @ King Bhai, Harish Purushottam Yadav @ Harry and Shashank Singh @ Ravi were allegedly involved in arranging the bank account used to receive money from the digital arrest victim and subsequently layering the funds through multiple accounts.
The CBI said the investigation also found that the three accused allegedly installed a malicious APK file on the account holder’s mobile phone. The application enabled them to intercept bank SMS alerts, allowing them to covertly operate the account and facilitate movement of the fraud proceeds.
The agency said the investigation is now uncovering the organised network behind the operation, including the roles played by different individuals and the manner in which the money was moved through multiple accounts.
With the latest arrests, the total number of accused persons apprehended in the three cases has risen to eight.
The CBI said efforts are continuing to identify and apprehend the remaining accused persons allegedly involved in the wider network.
Further investigation in all three cases is underway.
The CBI reiterated its resolve to take decisive action against digital arrest frauds and organised cybercrime networks, in line with the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, and to bring all persons involved in such offences to justice. (KNC)