Mumbai News: CBI Busts Digital Arrest Scam Syndicate; Nabs 2 More Operatives In ₹7.67 Crore Fraud Case

Mumbai: In an on-going investigation of a Digital Arrest Case, CBI conducted targeted searches at multiple locations in Mumbai and arrested two more operatives involved in the cybercrime syndicate.

Last month, the agency had arrested four persons, including two from Mumbai in the said case wherein the victim was digitally detained for over three months by cyber-criminals impersonating personnel of various law enforcement agencies. During this period, the victim was extorted 42 times, totaling Rs 7.67 crores.

According to the sources, the complainant had received a call in October 2023, in which the caller introduced himself as an official of TRAI. The caller stated that a cybercrime had taken place through another mobile number which was issued using documents of the complainant. Thereafter, the complainant kept receiving calls where callers posed as a CBI officer, ED officer, and Mumbai police officer.

In the name of digital verification, the complainant was asked to deposit money, which the complainant did 42 times from October 2023 to January 2024, and paid nearly Rs 7.67 crore. The complainant was also told by the scammers that all her money would be returned to her after the case against her was settled by the Supreme Court. The initial probe carried out by the Rajasthan police had revealed that nearly 200 bank accounts were used by the scammers as beneficiary accounts.

On the request of the Rajasthan government, the case was handed over to the CBI for further investigations last year. Upon taking over the case, the CBI conducted an in-depth investigation involving extensive data analysis and profiling. CBI employed advanced investigative techniques to identify the perpetrators.

Based on the leads generated during the investigation, the CBI conducted extensive searches recently, across twelve locations in Moradabad and Sambhal in UP, Mumbai, Jaipur, and Krishnanagar in West Bengal, leading to the arrest of four individuals involved in this highly organized crime syndicate.

Substantial material was recovered during these searches, including bank account details, debit cards, cheque books, deposit slips, and digital devices/ evidence.

"The CBI based on the interrogation of earlier arrested accused carried out further targeted searches at key locations linked to members of the cybercrime syndicate involved in Digital arrests. The operation led to the apprehension of two important operatives in the criminal network were arrested at Mumbai. From their possession, apart from incriminating evidence, sophisticated digital tools employed in running the cybercrime syndicate were recovered. The two accused arrested were brought produced before the Competent Court at Jhunjhnu District, Rajasthan. The Court has granted CBI Custody of the accused for 8 days," said a CBI source.