CHANDIGARH: In a significant breakthrough against escalating digital threats, the Punjab Police today announced to have exposed and dismantled a transnational cybercrime syndicate, leading to the arrest of ten individuals. This extensive operation has unearthed a fast-growing international network, primarily based in Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia, Hong Kong, Laos, and Myanmar, which had established a dangerous foothold across India, posing a severe threat to the nation’s digital security. This network has now spread across India and pose a serious threat to the country’s digital security, an official statement said.
The arrested individuals are part of a larger, organized “digital arrest” scam. Their modus operandi involved impersonating officials from central agencies such as the CBI and TRAI. They would contact victims through automated Interactive Voice Response (IVR) calls, falsely accusing them of involvement in serious crimes like money laundering. A Chandigarh resident recently lost over ₹1.01 crore to this scam, prompting the in-depth investigation.
A crucial element of the syndicate’s deception was the use of “SIM boxes.” These illicit devices are designed to convert internet-based calls into local mobile calls, generating hundreds of thousands of IVR calls daily. This bypasses traditional telecom tracking mechanisms, making it incredibly difficult for authorities to trace the origin of the fraudulent calls. Victims were often coerced into video calls, where they were shown staged police stations and threatened with fake legal action to extort money.
“Each device called SIM boxes can make more than 2 lakh IVR calls a day…Victims are then asked to connect via video call, where fake police station setup is shown and money is extorted in the name of fake case,” it said.
The Punjab Police, in collaboration with other agencies, conducted coordinated raids in various locations, including Ludhiana and Meerut, seizing multiple SIM boxes, hundreds of active SIM cards, mobile phones, laptops, and routers. Over ₹36.98 lakh has been frozen in bank accounts linked to the accused. While the investigation is underway, this crackdown highlights the increasing challenge of cross-border cybercrime and the critical need for continued international cooperation to safeguard digital security.
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