Gujarat: CBI team searches 22 locations, nabs 2 accused in Rs 11.42 crore digital arrest case

Ahmedabad: Intensifying its crackdown on the digital arrest crimes under Operation Chakra-VI, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at 22 locations across 10 states and arrested two more accused persons in a major digital arrest case from Gujarat.

The action forms part of CBI's sustained offensive against the syndicates behind the menace.

The particular case pertains to the digital arrest of a victim for about three months, by the cybercriminals impersonating as police officers and officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). He was coerced into transferring Rs 11.42 crore to accounts controlled by the syndicate.

The CBI searches, planned on the basis of detailed financial and technical analysis of the money trail, led to the seizure of incriminating banking documents, account-related records, digital devices and other crucial evidence, which are now being forensically examined to unravel the wider financial and technological infrastructure sustaining the digital arrest syndicates operating across state boundaries.

Examination during the searches brought out the specific and material roles of the two accused, Himanshu Prasad and Unis Biswas, in receiving, layering and dispersing the proceeds of crime.

Investigators found that the bank account of M/s Hexaquest Global Private Limited was used to receive Rs 2.5 crore out of the Rs 11.42 crore, defrauded from the victim.

Investigation also revealed that both the accused were allegedly involved in using bank accounts and installing APK files to siphon off proceeds generated through digital arrest frauds and other cybercrimes.

Several incriminating chats, messages and documents were also recovered from the digital devices seized from their possession.

Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the remaining members of the network.

The CBI has taken over a number of digital arrest cases from various states, in each of which the victims were digitally detained by cybercriminals impersonating as law-enforcement and government officials and coerced into transferring large sums of money.

In past one month, the CBI has conducted extensive, coordinated searches at 142 locations spanning 22 states and arrested 17 accused persons, striking simultaneously to trace the proceeds of crime, unmask the beneficiaries and handlers behind the syndicates, and secure incriminating material before it could be destroyed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IANS

[email protected]