Digital Arrest scams: CBI conducts searches at over 80 locations across India

In a major crackdown on the cybercrime infrastructure facilitating Digital Arrest scams, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has raided over 80 locations across the country in connection with more than 200 cases. Two accused have been arrested so far.

They have been identified as Naresh from Chennai and Sanjib Saha, a resident of Kolkata.

Under Operation Chakra-VI, the agency constituted 60 special teams and conducted coordinated searches in 16 States, including Punjab, Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, West Bengal, Manipur, Karnataka and Odisha.

“The searches were carried out as part of an ongoing investigation aimed at dismantling a targeted operational network involved in over 200 cases of Digital Arrest scams,” said the agency.

The arrested accused were involved in the incorporation of shell companies and the opening and operation of mule bank accounts. These accounts were reportedly used for laundering about ₹2 crore of suspected proceeds of crime.

The CBI recently unearthed a fraudulent website bearing a URL deceptively similar to the official website of the Supreme Court of India. The fraudsters allegedly used the registered domain to deceive victims through Digital Arrest modus operandi. Based on a complaint received from the Registry of the Supreme Court, the agency registered a case and launched an investigation.

“Leveraging advanced forensic tools and technical expertise, the CBI identified critical elements of the criminal infrastructure operating both within India and abroad. Investigation has revealed that the perpetrators uploaded forged documents, including fake orders resembling those issued by courts and various law enforcement agencies, to lend credibility to their fraudulent activities,” it said.

During the searches, the CBI has seized several incriminating documents, digital devices, mobile phones and records relating to bank transactions.

The CBI also found evidence indicating that, in addition to Indian citizens, nationals of several other countries may have been cheated by the same network. The law enforcement agencies of the jurisdictions concerned are being alerted through appropriate channels.