The Central Bureau of Investigation has launched a coordinated nationwide crackdown on digital arrest syndicates, carrying out searches across 89 locations in 20 states. As part of Operation Chakra-VI, the central agency arrested three individuals allegedly involved in receiving, layering, and routing cyber fraud proceeds. Investigators revealed that victims in three separate cases were collectively defrauded of 42.36 crore rupees after being placed under prolonged digital confinement by criminals posing as law enforcement personnel.
The enforcement drive follows directions issued by the Supreme Court of India to dismantle networks orchestrating digital arrest schemes across the country. Fraudsters execute these crimes by impersonating police officers, central agency personnel, and other state representatives. Through video calls, phone conversations, and digital platforms, victims are subjected to continuous online monitoring and coerced with threats of immediate arrest or implication in criminal proceedings, eventually forcing them to transfer significant funds to designated bank accounts. After taking over state-level cases, the agency deployed financial and technological tracing methods to identify syndicate operations and follow the movement of illicit capital.
Three victims defrauded of 42.36 crore rupees
Federal investigators established that victims across the three investigated matters were detained under digital arrest for durations spanning one to three months. The combined financial loss recorded in these matters reached 42.36 crore rupees, with fraudsters maintaining persistent surveillance over targeted individuals to enforce compliance and secure massive monetary transfers.
The first incident, linked to BITS Pilani, involved a victim who was subjected to digital arrest for nearly three months by impostors posing as police officers, leading to an extortion of 7.67 crore rupees. The second matter originated in Gujarat, where scammers impersonated law enforcement officials to detain a victim online for approximately three months, securing 19.24 crore rupees. In the third case, registered in Karnataka, the victim was subjected to online detention for about a month, resulting in a financial loss of 15.45 crore rupees.
Nationwide raids target interstate syndicates
To map the fund trail and prevent the destruction of primary records, federal teams conducted simultaneous raids at 89 sites located throughout 20 states. The field operation concentrated on identifying core handlers, intermediary operators, and final beneficiaries of the fraud infrastructure.
The searches yielded substantial material, including banking documentation, financial account logs, digital equipment, and related technical evidence. Investigative teams have initiated forensic examinations on the seized hardware and records to understand the financial networks and technical systems that facilitate interstate operations.
Three suspects held for money trail manipulation
Following searches and initial interrogations, the central agency arrested three suspects accused of handling and layering the defrauded money. The arrested individuals allegedly operated accounts designed to receive stolen funds and rapidly redirect them to obscure the audit trail.
Akash, a resident of Haryana, reportedly received 1.95 crore rupees in an account he personally created, moving the entire sum to secondary accounts within the same day. Raja Karmakar from Kolkata received 1.50 crore rupees into his firm’s business account. The third accused, Jyoti Rani, accepted a portion of the fraudulent money, withdrew part of the balance in cash, and transferred the remainder across multiple accounts. The agency continues forensic and custodial examinations to expose the wider network functioning across state and international boundaries.
