New Delhi: In a coordinated nationwide offensive against transnational cyber extortion, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched Operation Chakra-VI, conducting simultaneous searches across 89 locations in 20 states. The multi-state operation targeted criminal syndicates perpetrating psychological 'digital arrest' scams, where fraudsters impersonating police and customs officers coerced victims into transferring substantial assets. Acting in accordance with directive mandates from the Supreme Court of India, investigators seized digital devices, banking ledgers, and transaction records while arresting three key operatives managing the laundering pipelines of frauds totaling Rs 42.36 crore. For statutory cyber reporting guidelines and advisory alerts on digital impersonation, visit the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.

Three Landmark Cases Involving Rs 42.36 Crore in Extortion

The central agency took over three high-profile cases previously registered by state police forces, where victims were kept under prolonged virtual detention ranging from one to three months through deceptive video calls:

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  • BITS Pilani Case: Fraudsters posing as law-enforcement personnel placed a victim under digital arrest for nearly three months, psychologically coercing the individual into surrendering Rs 7.67 crore under the pretext of clearing fabricated financial crimes.
  • Gujarat Extortion (Rs 19.24 Crore): In a similar setup, a resident in Gujarat was placed under virtual surveillance for three months, ultimately being duped out of Rs 19.24 crore through fraudulent verification claims.
  • Karnataka Incident: A victim was subjected to continuous psychological threats for a month and forced to wire Rs 15.45 crore into designated bank accounts.

Three Key Money-Movers Arrested in Coordinated Raids

Rather than merely pursuing the frontline callers, the agency focused on dismantling the domestic financial infrastructure that enables illicit funds to exit the country:

  • Akash (Resident of Haryana): Investigators discovered that Akash opened a bank account that directly received Rs 1.95 crore of the defrauded proceeds, which was dispersed to downstream accounts within hours of receipt.
  • Raja Karmakar (Kolkata): Received approximately Rs 1.5 crore of extortion money into a corporate account registered to his firm to facilitate corporate-layering transactions.
  • Jyoti Rani: Facilitated cash withdrawals and electronic transfers of stolen funds across multiple subsidiary accounts to deliberately obscure the forensic audit trail.

Modus Operandi: Weaponizing Fake Law Enforcement Setups

The CBI's forensic investigation highlighted a systematic psychological playbook used by the transnational syndicates. Fraudsters created realistic setups resembling police stations, judicial courts, and regulatory agencies, threatening victims with fabricated narcotics seizures, money laundering charges, or passport cancellations. Victims were forced to stay on video camera around the clock and forbidden from alerting family or banks while their savings, mutual funds, and fixed deposits were liquidated into fraudulent mule accounts.

The agency confirmed that forensic teams are examining the seized digital devices, communication metadata, and international IP routing nodes to trace handlers based in Southeast Asian cyber-compounds and identify additional domestic intermediaries.