Operation Chakra-II

23.10.2023

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Why in the news?

Recently,The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)  launched Operation Chakra-II to fight against transnational organized cyber-enabled financial crimes in India.

About Operation Chakra-II:

• It was launched by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Microsoft, Amazon along with national and international agencies to combat and dismantle infrastructure of illegal call centres or tech support frauds.
• The CBI conducted searches at 76 locations across 11 States based on separate cases of cyber-enabled financial fraud, including a Rs 100-crore crypto scam.
• The cases were based on critical inputs provided by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
• It confiscated fraud-enabled equipment and froze many bank and email accounts.
• These illegal call centers impacted over 2,000 e- commerce website customers primarily based in the U.S.A., Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, and the U.K.
• The accused disguised as a technical support representative, impersonated a global multinational with an online trading platform and systematically preyed on foreign nationals.
• Under Operation Chakra (2022), the CBI conducted raids over 100 locations against cyber criminals involved in financial crimes.

About Operation Chakra-I

• In October 2022, the CBI had conducted Operation Chakra 1, along with Interpol, FBI, and police of multiple countries.
• Searches were carried out at 115 locations across various Indian states during the last operation. Two call centers duping US and Canadian citizens through fake tech support scams were busted in Pune and Ahmedabad.

• 16 accused persons were arrested during the coordinated raids under Chakra 1. Thus, the CBI has been consistently cracking down on cyber fraud networks over the past year.

About The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

• It is the premier investigative agency of India.
• The agency was established in 1963 by the Indian government as a result of the recommendation of the Santhanam Committee.
• It is not a statutory body. It derives its power to investigate from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946.

Control

• It operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (which in turn operated under PMO).
• However, for investigation of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, CBI vests superintendence to the Central Vigilance Commission.

Functions

• Initially, it was set up to investigate corruption in government departments and public sector undertakings.
• However, over the years, its jurisdiction has expanded to cover a wide range of cases, including economic offenses, cyber-crimes, organized crimes, and special crimes.

Financial Intelligence Unit – India (FIU-IND)

• It was set by the Government of India on 18th November 2004 as the central national agency responsible for receiving, processing, analyzing and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions.
• It is also responsible for coordinating and strengthening efforts of national and international intelligence, investigation and enforcement agencies in pursuing the global efforts against money laundering and financing of terrorism.
• It is an independent body reporting directly to the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC) headed by the Finance Minister.
• It is a multi disciplinary body with a sanctioned strength of 75 personnel–from different organizations namely Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Department of Legal Affairs and Intelligence agencies.

Source:The Hindu