Operation Chakra-V: CBI arrests one man in cyber-enabled fraud case, conducts searches across four States
The searches were carried out in Delhi, Hisar in Haryana, Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, and Mumbai, Pune, and Nashik in Maharashtra. The accused named Pratik Tanpure was arrested in Mumbai.
Also read: 136 cyber criminals nabbed across Tamil Nadu in operation 'Thiraineekku-II'
'The accused was actively involved in supplying pre-activated SIM cards and mule bank accounts to cybercriminal networks, thereby enabling and sustaining their illegal operations. Substantial incriminating material was recovered from his possession during the searches,' the agency said.
The case is related to a well-orchestrated 'fraud' where unsuspecting individuals were cheated through a fraudulent mobile application and WhatsApp groups. 'The perpetrators deceitfully lured innocent investors by promising shares of reputed listed companies at discounted rates. Once the victims invested their hard-earned money, the accused misappropriated the funds, causing significant financial loss to the public,' it said.
Also read: Cyber fraud complaints of over ₹10 lakh, lodged via helpline or portal, to automatically convert into FIRs
Last month, the agency had arrested 11 alleged cybercriminals. In one case, in which six people were arrested on the charge of cheating Japanese citizens, 19 locations in Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh were searched. The accused were identified as Ashu Singh (Delhi); Kapil Ghakhar (Panipat, Haryana); Rohit Maurya from Ayodhya, and Shubham Jaiswal, Vivek Raj, and Adarsh Kumar from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
'As part of its ongoing efforts to combat cyber-enabled financial crimes under Operation Chakra-V, the CBI on May 28 conducted coordinated searches...the operation culminated in the arrest of six key operatives and the dismantling of two illegal call centres engaged in a sophisticated transnational tech support scam targeting Japanese citizens,' the CBI had said.
Also read: Operation Chakra V: CBI gets hold of four 'kingpins' in 'digital arrest' fraud
In the second case, during the searches conducted at 42 locations across eight States — Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu — as part of the ongoing Operation Chakra-V, the CBI had arrested five persons for allegedly selling SIM cards without authorisation. The SIM cards were being used for illegal activities such as 'digital arrest' scam, impersonation, fraudulent advertisements, and investment/UPI frauds.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
41 minutes ago
- NDTV
Chennai Cocaine Case: Conditional Bail Granted To Actors Srikanth And Krishna
Chennai: Actors Srikanth and Krishna have been granted conditional bail by the Madras High Court in the Chennai cocaine case that has rocked the Tamil film industry. The two actors, arrested in connection with an alleged high-profile drug racket, have been ordered to report daily at the Nungambakkam Police Station as part of their bail conditions. The actors were arrested after police arrested Prasad, a former AIADMK functionary accused of supplying cocaine to actor Srikanth, and Kevin, who allegedly sold drugs to Krishna. A Ghana national named John and another individual, Pradeep, were also taken into custody. Police say Kevin was caught with cocaine, referred to as ganja, methamphetamine, and Rs 45,000 in cash. Krishna allegedly consumed and shared drugs with friends and was part of WhatsApp groups used to coordinate drug use. Srikanth is believed to have had direct links with a drug cartel, having both purchased and used narcotics supplied by Prasad. Both actors belong to prominent film families. Srikanth has acted in around 70 films, while Krishna is the son of a film producer and brother of filmmaker Vishnu Varadhan, and has starred in celebrated Tamil films including Anjali, Iruvar, and Thalapathy. Reports suggest that other actors may be under the police radar in connection with the case. Following the controversy, Kerala-based film producers have made anti-drug affidavits mandatory on film sets. Law enforcement authorities have issued a stern warning that withholding information about drug possession or usage will now be treated as a criminal offence.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Delhi HC rejects plea for destroying transcripts of calls, texts intercepted by CBI
The Delhi High Court has rejected an accused's plea for destroying transcripts of calls and messages allegedly illegally intercepted by CBI , underlining corruption 's "pervasive impact" on country's economy. Justice Amit Mahajan on June 26 also dismissed the petition of one Aakash Deep Chouhan against an order of the trial court framing criminal conspiracy charges under IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. Holding it to be a legal interception, the high court said the interception orders passed by the union Ministry of Home Affairs showed they were passed "for the reason of public safety " in the interest of public order to prevent incitement to commission of an offence. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Benefits of Hiring a Data-Driven Digital Marketing Agency in Singapore. TechBullion Undo "The threat posed by corruption cannot be understated. Corruption has a pervasive impact on a nation's economy and the same can impact anything from infrastructural development to resource allocation," the order read. It continued, "Corruption by a public servant has far reaching consequences as it serves to not only erode public trust and cast aspersions on the integrity of public institutions, but also renders the public at large susceptible and vulnerable by threatening the economic safety of the country." Live Events The court, therefore, held no case was made for the destruction of the transcripts. The CBI alleged conspiracy for securing a sub-contract for steel work from M/s Shapoorji Pallonji and Company (P) Ltd in favour of M/s Capacite Structures Limited in the project awarded to it by M/s NBCC (India) Ltd. Pradeep, a public servant, allegedly demanded a new motorcycle as illegal gratification to exercise his influence with senior functionaries of NBCC. The demand was conveyed by another accused Rishabh, who acted as a middleman to facilitate the transaction, to accused Sanjay, the managing director of M/s Capacite Structures Limited, the CBI alleged. Chouhan, who was an employee of accused Sanjay, had reportedly purchased the motorcycle to be given as bribe to Pradeep. Chouhan, in his plea, contended that interceptions were unlawfully and illegally carried out by CBI in violation of his fundamental rights and statutory safeguards and accordingly, they were inadmissible as evidence. He also submitted that the material brought forth by CBI after investigation, including the calls, did not make out a case of grave suspicion against him. Opposing the plea, the CBI argued destruction of the intercepted calls was not warranted and the condition precedent of public safety, as prescribed under the Indian Telegraph Act, was met in the case. CBI said the allegations against Chouhan related to corruption, which posed a risk on the economic well being of the country and its people. Rejecting the plea, the court said though every person had a fundamental right to privacy, the same wasn't absolute and couldnt be curtailed by procedure established by law. The Centre or a state government or any officer specially authorised could legally carry out interception or surveillance in the event of any public emergency or in the interest of public safety, it added. The court observed the serious nature of allegations in the present case, if proven, would render dubious the entire process of awarding of tenders and bids on the basis of personal influence with senior officers rather than benefit of the public at large.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
CBI Cracks Down on Transnational Cybercrime Syndicate; Noida Call Centre Busted
New Delhi: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) dismantled a sophisticated tech support scam syndicate operating from Noida, targeting citizens of the United Kingdom and Australia. As part of its ongoing Operation Chakra-V, CBI conducted coordinated searches at three locations in Noida, including a fully functional fraudulent call centre in the Noida Special Economic Zone, on July 7. Acting on credible intelligence, CBI registered a case to investigate the syndicate, which posed as technical support staff of reputed multinational companies, including Microsoft. The fraudsters were cheating foreign nationals by falsely claiming that their devices were compromised and extorting money under the guise of resolving non-existent technical issues. CBI collaborated closely with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Crime Agency (UK), and Microsoft Corporation to trace the syndicate's operations and locations. During the searches, CBI seized extensive evidence, including advanced calling infrastructure, malicious scripts used to deceive victims, and documents revealing the scale of the fraud and extortion. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi The syndicate's call centre, operating under the name FirstIdea, was found to be technologically sophisticated, enabling cross-border anonymity and large-scale victim targeting. The key operative, a partner of FirstIdea, was arrested by CBI and will be produced before the Special CBI Court on July 8. The accused was identified as Nishant Walia. "CBI remains committed to combating the growing menace of cybercrime and reiterates its resolve to work with domestic and international partners to dismantle such syndicates and bring perpetrators to justice. Through Operation Chakra-V and similar initiatives, CBI continues to strengthen its capabilities to detect, investigate, and prosecute cybercriminals operating across borders," an agency spokesperson said.
