CBI cracks down on cyber criminals, conducts searches at 40 locations

New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) The CBI on Wednesday conducted searches at 40 locations across several states in connection with international digital arrest fraud after registering a comprehensive FIR on the basis of complaints from nine victims who were allegedly duped of Rs 4.5 crore, officials said.

The searches were carried out across Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kerala and West Bengal, they said.

Upon receiving a complaint from the Ministry of Home Affairs' anti-cybercrime body I4C, the CBI analysed over 15,000 IP addresses, mule accounts and telecommunication channels used to dupe the victims and traced 40 cybercriminals who orchestrated the fraud.

"During the operation, the CBI has unearthed an extensive domestic facilitation network involved in supplying mule bank accounts and enabling parallel hawala channels for layering and movement of proceeds of crime," a spokesperson of the central agency said in a statement.

The CBI probe found that while a part of money had been withdrawn in India, the remaining was sent abroad, to be withdrawn from foreign ATMs.

"Analysis of more than 15,000 IP addresses revealed that the perpetrators of the digital arrest frauds were carrying out operations from foreign locations including Cambodia, and using Indian mule account holders to carry out layering and integration of proceeds of crime," the statement said.

The agency has found that the network supported high value fund flows through coordinated mules and money transfer agents, and high-speed money transfers were carried out using fintech infrastructure, it said.

"Digital devices, KYC documents, SIM cards, and WhatsApp communication archives recovered during the searches are being examined to establish end-to-end linkages among domestic facilitators and main conspirators, and to map the modus operandi, financial trails, and communication infrastructure used in the offence," the spokesperson said. PTI ABS ABS ARB KVK KVK