8 held as CBI teams with Interpol against romance scams, investment fraud – here’s how operation unfolded

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested eight cybercriminals from different gangs during a focused crackdown between May and August, officials said on Tuesday, as part of Interpol’s Operation HAECHI-VI.

The global initiative involved 40 countries and targeted seven sophisticated categories of cybercrime, including voice phishing, online sextortion, romance scams, investment fraud, and money laundering linked to illegal gambling networks.

CBI conducts high-impact raids across India

The CBI, India’s national crime bureau coordinating with Interpol, carried out a series of high-impact raids across states from West Bengal to Punjab, uncovering digital crime dens preying on minors and foreign nationals, an official spokesperson said.

"During Operation HAECHI-VI, the International Operations Division of the CBI closely coordinated with the FBI, the US Department of Justice and the German authorities, arrested eight offenders and identified 45 suspects who were indulging in the transnational cyber-enabled financial crimes and subjecting... girls to sexual offences online," the spokesperson said.

USD 66,340 cash was recovered from the offenders, and 30 bank accounts involved in the crime were subsequently blocked. The agency has taken part in all six editions of Operation HAECHI so far.

Arrests based on FBI intelligence

The CBI, acting on operational intelligence shared by the FBI, arrested two accused for allegedly "luring and coercing underage girls in the United States" via social media, pressuring them to share sexually explicit material through intimidation tactics, the spokesperson said.

The agency dismantled two major illegal call centres – one in New Delhi and Amritsar, and another in Siliguri, Darjeeling – that swindled money from US and German citizens by impersonating technical support agents of major software companies.

"CBI's role in Operation HAECHI-VI underscores growing international cooperation against tech-facilitated crime, particularly offences targeting vulnerable populations, including children. The bureau has pledged continued collaboration with Interpol and allied agencies to expose and eliminate such syndicates," the spokesperson added.

Investigations remain active, with forensic teams analysing digital evidence and international authorities pursuing leads beyond India.

Global impact of Operation HAECHI-VI

Globally, Interpol coordinated the operation across 40 countries and territories, recovering USD 342 million in government-backed currencies and USD 97 million in physical and virtual assets. Around 68,000 associated bank accounts were blocked, nearly 400 cryptocurrency wallets were frozen, and approximately USD 16 million in suspected illicit profits was recovered from cryptocurrency wallets, according to Interpol.