The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two people in connection with a digital arrest case in which a victim was allegedly cheated of Rs 11.42 crore.
The accused have been identified as Himanshu Prasad and Unis Biswas. According to the CBI, they allegedly used multiple bank accounts and APK files to move and siphon off money generated through digital arrest scams and other cybercrimes.
The arrests came after the agency conducted searches at 22 locations across 10 states as part of Operation Chakra IV. The two accused were arrested from Gujarat. The CBI said more arrests are expected in the case.
“The action forms part of the CBI’s sustained offensive against various syndicates behind this menace, which continues to pose a grave threat to citizens across the country,” the agency said on Sunday.
According to the CBI, the victim was allegedly kept under “digital arrest” for nearly three months by cybercriminals posing as police officers and officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The victim was allegedly forced to transfer Rs 11.42 crore into bank accounts controlled by the cybercrime syndicate.
The CBI said its searches led to the recovery of bank documents, account details and financial transaction records. Some of the accounts were allegedly benami accounts controlled by the accused. The seized material is being examined forensically.
Investigators found that Prasad and Biswas allegedly helped move the defrauded money through multiple accounts to hide its source and trail.
The CBI said the accused allegedly used the bank account of M/s Hexaquest Global Pvt. Ltd. to receive Rs 2.5 crore from the Rs 11.42 crore taken from the victim. The money was then allegedly transferred to several accounts belonging to their associates.
The agency also seized mobile phones and other electronic devices containing chats and messages. These are being analysed to understand how the cybercrime network operated across different states.
The CBI has taken over several digital arrest cases registered in different states. In these cases, cybercriminals allegedly posed as law-enforcement or government officials and threatened victims with arrest before forcing them to transfer money.
In four cases registered during the past one month, the agency has conducted searches at 142 locations across 22 states and arrested 17 accused persons, while also tracing the proceeds of crime.
The CBI has warned people that “digital arrest” is not a legal process. No police officer, government agency, court or investigating agency can place a person under digital arrest through a phone call, video call or online platform.
The agency advised people not to panic or transfer money if someone threatens them with arrest over a phone or video call. People should also avoid sharing OTPs, banking details or other personal information and inform their family members if they receive such calls.