CBI Operation Chakra-V: CBI Raids Seven States For Cyber Fraud And Digital Arrest Scams

CBI Operation Chakra-V: CBI Raids Seven States For Cyber Fraud And Digital Arrest Scams

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducts investigations against cyber fraud and digital arrest scams. This action was undertaken as part of Operation Chakra-V. On July 16, 2025, CBI raids across 07 states, including Delhi, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan. In this crackdown, three individuals are arrested. They were playing a major and active role in facilitating and operating mule bank accounts to route and conceal the illicit transactions and scams. Earlier, 10 people were arrested for the same.

Based on information from some specific sources and some verification, the CBI had registered a case on June 25, 2025, against 37 accused persons under IPC/BNS and the Prevention of Corruption Act. These individuals were operating mule accounts to facilitate illicit transactions and were included in middlemen/agents and bank employees intentionally and were cooperating secretly with the cyber criminals to open and operate mule accounts used for receiving, transferring and withdrawing proceeds of cyber frauds. Additionally, the CBI had conducted searches on 26.06.2025 and 27.06.2025 at 40 locations across various States and arrested 10 alleged persons for similar cases and frauds.

Recently, after some initial searches in June 2025, CBI is carrying out further research on cybercrimes across 07 states based on the new evidence collected. The CBI is identifying and neutralising mule accounts which were being utilised by the accused persons to transfer profit generated from crime via impersonation, fraudulent advertisements, digital arrest scams, investment frauds and others.

CBI made a strategy to handle the cyber threats and frauds. This strategy includes three pillars. The first pillar is the financial infrastructure, including mule accounts, unauthorised payment gateways and fintech ecosystems misused by cybercriminals. The second pillar is the telecom/communication infrastructure involving mule SIM activations and networks supplying such SIM cards. The third pillar is the human resource network which consists of organised syndicates engaged in the recruitment of people for performing these cybercrimes. The third pillar operates mostly outside India.

CBI’s spokesperson said on Wednesday (16.07.2025) that in follow-up of the efforts under Operation Chakra-V to battle cybercrime and digital arrest scams, raids were conducted at multiple locations across seven states, adding that searches resulted in the recovery of large incriminating evidence, including mobile phones, bank account opening documents, transaction records and KYC papers.

It has now become one of the continued commitments of the Government of India to deal with the cybercrimes and scams.

The arrested individuals will be produced before the jurisdictional court, and the investigation on the same will be further extended.