New Delhi, 27 September (H.S.):

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two more accused, Himanshu Prasad and Yunis Biswas, in connection with the Rs 11.42 crore digital arrest case in Gujarat. The CBI also conducted simultaneous searches at 22 locations across 10 states as part of Operation Chakra-6. According to the investigating agency, both accused allegedly played a role in receiving the proceeds of the fraud, transferring the money to different accounts and concealing the money trail.

According to the CBI, the victim was kept under digital arrest for nearly three months by cybercriminals who impersonated police and officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). During this period, the victim was allegedly intimidated into transferring Rs 11.42 crore to bank accounts controlled by the syndicate.

The searches were conducted on the basis of financial transactions and technical analysis carried out during the investigation. During searches at 22 locations in 10 states, banking documents, account-related records, digital devices and other crucial evidence were recovered. The CBI is conducting forensic examination of the seized devices and documents.

According to the CBI, the roles of Himanshu Prasad and Yunis Biswas came to light during the searches. The investigation revealed that the two allegedly used the bank account of M/s Hexaquest Global Private Limited to receive Rs 2.5 crore out of the proceeds of the fraud. The money was subsequently transferred to multiple bank accounts belonging to associates in an alleged attempt to conceal its actual source and obscure the chain of transactions.

The investigating agency further stated that the two accused were allegedly involved in the use of bank accounts and APK files to withdraw proceeds generated through digital arrest and other cybercrimes. Several incriminating chats, messages and documents were also recovered from the digital devices seized during the searches. The CBI is now making efforts to identify and arrest other individuals linked to the network.

The CBI said that under Operation Chakra-6, it has taken over the investigation of several digital arrest-related cases from different states. In these cases, cybercriminals allegedly impersonated law-enforcement personnel and government officials, digitally detained victims and induced them to transfer large sums of money.

According to the CBI, coordinated searches have been conducted at 142 locations across 22 states in four such cases over the past 30 days. During this period, 17 accused have been arrested. The investigation is aimed at tracing the proceeds of the fraud and identifying the syndicate’s operators, beneficiaries and other associates.

The CBI has also cautioned the public that no police, CBI or other government agency places individuals under ‘digital arrest’ or demands money through phone calls or video calls. People receiving such calls have been advised to immediately disconnect and report the matter through the National Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930 or the cybercrime reporting portal.

The CBI said that action against digital arrest scams and organised cybercrime will continue. Further investigation into the cases is underway.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar