60 CBI teams raid 80 locations in 16 states, arrest key operatives of ‘digital arrest’ scam

New Delhi: These ‘digital arrest’ scammers did not just stop at using fake police station backdrops on video calls — they went as far as creating a fraudulent web portal deceptively mirroring the official website of Supreme Court of India to dupe unsuspecting victims.Acting on a complaint from the SC registry, CBI registered an FIR and launched Operation Chakra-VI to dismantle the underlying criminal infrastructure. Sixty special teams executed coordinated searches across more than 80 locations in 16 states, including Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Gujarat. Multiple operatives have been apprehended. Two key players, who incorporated shell companies and managed mule bank accounts to launder nearly Rs 2 crore, have been arrested.The targeted network is allegedly linked to over 200 cases of digital arrest scams across the country, said the agency.CBI investigators revealed that the syndicate deployed advanced technical infrastructure to upload forged court orders and fabricated law enforcement documents, creating a false sense of legitimacy to terrify and extort victims. The multistate searches yielded a significant haul of incriminating documents, mobile phones and digital devices, all of which have been sent for detailed forensic analysis.

CBI has also uncovered evidence suggesting that the network’s reach extended beyond borders, victimising foreigners as well. Consequently, the agency is alerting international law enforcement partners as investigations continue to completely dismantle the criminal apparatus.Officials reiterated that there was no such thing as a ‘digital arrest'. “It’s a highly coercive form of cyber fraud that weaponises psychological terror and social engineering,” said an officer. “It typically begins with an unexpected phone call or automated message claiming that the victim’s

Aadhaar card

, passport or a courier parcel has been linked to severe criminal activities like drug trafficking, money laundering or terror financing,” he pointed out.The scammers then get on a video call with the target where they are dressed in realistic police uniforms and sit in front of AI-generated or physical backdrops staged to look like authentic police stations or CBI offices. Under the guise of a 'digital arrest’, the perpetrators place the victim under strict virtual custody, forbidding them from disconnecting the call, contacting family or leaving their rooms for hours or even days.Once the victim is isolated and terrified by fabricated arrest warrants and official-looking court orders, the scammers offer a fake “way out,” pressuring them into transferring their entire life savings into their mule bank accounts, claiming that the funds will be refunded after clearance.