2024-09-15 20:36:31
New Delhi: The CBI has arrested a cyber criminal from Mumbai who defrauded an American citizen of $ 4.5 lakh by posing as a technical assistant. Officials said that ‘Operation Chakra-3’ is being run against cyber criminals in collaboration with the US investigative agency ‘Federal Bureau of Investigation’ (FBI) and under this, the CBI busted a cyber crime network, which was targeting people in other countries since 2022. He said that the CBI’s International Operation Division (IOD) arrested the accused Vishnu Rathi in Mumbai and brought him to Delhi. Officials said that Rathi was produced before the magistrate on Saturday, from where he was sent to CBI custody for five days. The magistrate said, ‘The action of interrogation in custody is to assist the investigation and it is one of the effective methods of investigating the alleged crime. Therefore, for effective and fair investigation, custodial interrogation of the accused is necessary.’
The raid lasted for seven days
According to officials, during the searches conducted at 7 places in the last two days, the CBI seized 57 gold bars of 100 grams each, Rs 16 lakh in cash, mobile phones, laptops used in managing crypto currency, locker details and other objectionable material from Rathi’s premises. Officials said the agency has found material that shows that this international cyber crime network was converting the money earned from crime into virtual assets and gold and silver. According to officials, the CBI had registered a case against Rathi and others on September 9. The agency had alleged that the accused conspired to target an American citizen between June and August 2022.
What is Operation Chakra-3?
In a statement, a CBI spokesperson said, “It is also alleged that on the pretext of offering technical support services, the accused falsely informed the victim, who lives in the US, that his bank account had been compromised. Claiming that the funds in the account were at risk, they allegedly got the victim to transfer US $ 4,53,953 to their cryptocurrency wallet.”
The spokesperson said that the CBI is working closely with the FBI and law enforcement agencies of several countries through Interpol to act on the leads. He said, “The CBI has launched ‘Operation Chakra-3’. Its aim is to combat and dismantle organized financial cyber crime networks, as part of a globally coordinated law enforcement response, leveraging the liaison with Interpol.”