Stepping up its aggressive crackdown against escalating cybercrime syndicates, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested five additional suspects in connection with a massive Rs 42 crore digital arrest fraud ring. With these latest law enforcement actions, the total number of arrests in these high-profile fraud cases has climbed to eight. The nationwide swoop highlights the expanding reach and sophisticated tactics employed by cybercriminals targeting vulnerable citizens through fake digital interrogation scams.
Nationwide Raids Across 20 States Under Operation Chakra-6
The recent arrests were executed as part of the CBI’s sweeping nationwide campaign codenamed “Operation Chakra-6,” which specifically targets organized criminal networks orchestrating digital arrest frauds and extortion rackets. CBI spokesperson Bina Yadav disclosed on Sunday that the breakthroughs followed coordinated multi-state raids spanning 89 locations across 20 states. The newly apprehended suspects were identified as key cogs in the financial laundering wing of the syndicate, specializing in receiving extorted funds, layering transactions across multiple mule accounts, and diverting money to obscure channels to evade law enforcement tracking.
Modus Operandi and Identification of Key Accused Operatives
Investigators revealed specific roles played by the arrested individuals in facilitating the multi-crore cyber swindle. Sanket Bastawar and Pankaj Damade, both residents of Itarsi in Madhya Pradesh, allegedly arranged fraudulent bank accounts to siphon off money extorted via digital arrest tactics and actively engineered subsequent money transfers. Meanwhile, New Delhi resident Arif, also known as ‘King Bhai,’ Harish Purushottam Yadav alias ‘Harry,’ and Ghaziabad resident Shashank Singh alias ‘Ravi’ provided crucial bank accounts used as conduits for initial victim deposits before the funds were recursively routed through shell accounts, underscoring the deep-rooted financial infrastructure supporting these transnational cyber scams.