CBI arrests 26 accused in raids in several cities

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested 26 people on suspicion of organized cybercrimes that fraudulently target people around the world, officials said on Monday.

The action comes after raids by the investigative agency in several cities as part of its ongoing Operation Chakra-III. The operation was carried out in Pune, Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam according to specific specifications, they said.

Last week, the CBI's International Operations Division filed a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Information Technology Act, 2000, following which the detectives launched raids at 32 different locations, officials told ETV Bharat.

During searches, the CBI intercepted around 170 people allegedly involved in ongoing online crime activities at four call centers while investigations and questioning into the role of other employees in these illegal call centers were ongoing.

According to a CBI official, the operations resulted in the seizure of 951 items including electronic devices, mobile phones, laptops, financial information, communication records and incriminating material used by the cybercrime network for criminal activities and to defraud victims.

He said that cash amounting to Rs 58.45 lakh, locker keys and three luxury vehicles were also recovered from them.

The defendants are accused of running a syndicate and committing cyber fraud. Among other things, they posed as technical support in order to lure gullible victims, especially in the USA, by pretending that the victims' systems had been hacked.

“Victims were deceived into believing that their identities had been stolen and that a large number of unauthorized transactions were being made in their bank accounts. “The victims were falsely led to believe that they were under surveillance by law enforcement agencies based on suspicious orders allegedly given by them,” the CBI official said.

“The defendants would then entice victims to transfer their bank balances to new bank accounts provided by cybercriminals under the guise of securing their finances. In some cases, cyber scams have intimidated victims into transferring money via international gift cards or cryptocurrencies. The victims of this criminal network have suffered significant unlawful losses,” the official added.

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