Hyderabad, Feb 25 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday conducted extensive searches across six states and arrested three accused in a “Digital Arrest” fraud case involving Rs 1.86 crore.

The case pertains to the defrauding of a senior citizen from Kerala’s Kottayam district.

Through meticulous digital forensics and financial trail analysis, investigators uncovered a complex network spanning multiple Indian states, with indications of international linkages, the agency said in a statement.

The CBI launched synchronised search and arrest operations targeting two critical components of the cyber-fraud ecosystem: Mule bank account networks and fraudulently procured SIM cards.

Searches were conducted at multiple locations in Goa, Bengaluru, Palakkad (Kerala), Nagpur, Hyderabad, and Delhi.

During the searches, investigators seized digital devices, debit cards, bank account documentation, and other incriminating materials. The seized evidence is currently undergoing detailed examination.

Blessin Jacob Abraham, a mule account operator arrested from Goa, is suspected of having played a key role in operating mule accounts and facilitating cryptocurrency transactions linked to this fraud. Several digital devices containing incriminating data were seized from his possession.

The second arrested accused is Mohammad Mushtaque, a shell company operator from Nagpur who used the company account to receive proceeds of crime. A substantial number of debit cards and digital devices were recovered from the premises linked to him.

Mohammad Junaid was arrested in Bengaluru. He was involved in procuring SIM cards fraudulently. He allegedly duped unsuspecting individuals by offering “5G SIM upgrades,” misusing their KYC documents to activate SIM cards that were subsequently used in cyber-fraud operations believed to originate from abroad.

Investigation is ongoing to identify additional domestic and international collaborators and to dismantle the broader cyber-fraud infrastructure. This operation represents a step in dismantling the enabling ecosystem behind “Digital Arrest” scams, the CBI said.

The CBI remains committed to aggressively pursuing organised cyber-criminal networks and safeguarding public trust in digital systems, it added.

–IANS

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