New Delhi Nov 23 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently revealed that it has dismantled a significant operation involved in cyber-enabled crimes aimed at extorting money from foreign nationals. The operation included searches conducted at approximately 24 locations across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Gujarat. During these searches, the CBI recovered about Rs 2.2 crore in cash, foreign currency, cryptocurrency accounts, property papers, and other pieces of evidence.
The case dates back to July 7, 2022, when the CBI registered a case based on allegations that several call centers in India were collaborating with a VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) company based in Gujarat to carry out fraudulent activities targeting citizens of the USA. The accused individuals impersonated various entities through VOIP calls in order to orchestrate these cyber-enabled crimes.
The CBI had previously conducted searches at 11 call centers/entities during the initial phase of their investigation under Operation “Chakra” in October of the previous year. Additionally, the agency had already filed a chargesheet against one of the accused individuals.
Further investigations uncovered the involvement of a private person, a private company, and their associates in perpetrating extensive fraud against foreign nationals. The CBI alleged that these crimes were made possible through the services provided by the Gujarat-based private company.