CBI arrests 43 persons under Operation CHAKRA-III to dismantle cyber crime network

New Delhi [India], July 26 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in coordination with FBI and law enforcement agencies in multiple countries through INTERPOL, arrested 43 accused as a part of an ongoing Operation CHAKRA-III, said an official release from CBI.

The operation was conducted to dismantle a sophisticated cyber-enabled financial crime network that has been operating across multiple countries since 2022.

The International Operations Division of CBI registered a case on July 22, 2024, for offences of cheating and online fraud.

Searches were conducted at seven locations across Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida. It was revealed that transnational cyber-enabled financial crimes in this network were being coordinated across distributed centres mainly directed from a Call Centre Operating from DLF Cyber City, Gurugram.

During these searches, live cyber-criminal operations were intercepted and substantial incriminating evidence has been gathered.

Investigation teams have so far recovered 130 computer hard disks, 65 mobile phones, 5 laptops, incriminating documents, financial transaction details, call recordings, victim details, and transcripts used for targeting victims.

Victims were contacted by impersonation and induced to click on Pop Ups for download of malicious software onto their systems and subsequently induced to make payments for restoration of their system. It is revealed that proceeds of crime were channelised from multiple countries to Hong Kong.

Further investigation is ongoing.