CBI arrests head of ‘Robocall gang’ that duped US, Canada citizens

Anand, the main suspect alleged to be behind the transnational cyber extortion syndicate, was arrested from Mumbai on Thursday. He was produced before the CBI court, which sent him to four days’ remand.

The CBI said the case pertains to a sophisticated international fraud involved in cheating foreign nationals, particularly US and Canadian citizens, by impersonating government officials, threatening them with false allegations, and subsequently extorting funds. The proceeds of crime were found to be received in the form of crypto currencies.

During the operation, the accused was found in possession of a well-organized ecosystem used for committing cyber frauds, which included, telecommunication setup, pre-drafted scam scripts, forged identity badges, and ID cards purporting to be of Canadian law enforcement authorities.

Further, virtual digital assets worth approximately 45,000 US dollars were seized from the accused. He was also found to be leading a lavish lifestyle, as evidenced by the recovery of luxury vehicles, high-end accessories, frequent foreign visits and substantial unaccounted wealth, an official said.

The official added that the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had earlier identified the “Royal Tiger Gang”, operated by the accused, as a significant Consumer Communication Information Services Threat (C-CIST).

The gang is accused of generating and transmitting unlawful robocalls impersonating government agencies, banks, and utility service providers in a systematic manner, aimed at deceiving and defrauding US consumers.

The action carried out the CBI is part of Operation Chakra launched in 2022 in coordination with foreign law enforcement agencies such as the Interpol to deal with various aspects of cybercrime.

While Chakra I to IV dealt with various aspects of cybercrime like OTP frauds, loan app scams, job market scams and fake investment schemes, the action carried out by the CBI was part of Operation Chakra V launched to target organized cybercrime.

As part of Operation Chakra V, the CBI on Thursday arrested nine persons who provided 8.5 lakh mule accounts to cyber frauds to move stolen money across bank accounts for a commission.