NEW DELHI: As a part of ongoing Operation Chakra-IV, the CBI in close coordination with German authorities has dismantled a sophisticated virtual asset-supported cybercrime network targeting German nationals since 2021.
The international operation division of the CBI had registered a case on February 12, 2025 against Rahul Shaw, Shubham Sharma, Rajeev Budhiraja and unknown others, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act 2000.
A senior CBI official said, “Following the registration of the case, agency sleuths swiftly conducted extensive searches at multiple locations associated and linked to the accused persons, yielding substantial incriminating evidence.”
"The raids took place at six locations across Delhi, Kolkata and Siliguri between February 14 and 17 and revealed that this transnational cyber-enabled financial crime network was channelling the proceeds of crime through virtual assets," he added.
As a part of the investigation into the case, the CBI arrested Rahul Shaw from Siliguri, a key accused in the case and was produced before a special court here.
“During raids conducted at his residential premises, the CBI sleuths recovered seven mobile phones, one laptop and incriminating documents about the crime,” the official said.
“The CBI has also unearthed an illegal ‘Call Centre’ being operated by the accused Rahul Shaw and other accused persons at Webel IT Park, Matigara, Darjeeling in West Bengal and dismantled the same,” an official said.
He also added that during the raid, 24 hard disks of computer systems used by the accused persons, containing incriminating digital evidence, were recovered from the said illegal 'Call Centre' as the operation continued to identify the proceeds of the crime.
The officials said investigation into the case to find a broader network on the basis of international leads is ongoing in close coordination with the foreign law enforcement agencies.
The CBI official alleged that during 2021-2022, the accused individuals conspired to target the German victims by gaining unauthorised remote access to the victim’s computer systems and bank accounts, under pretext of offering tech support services.
“They falsely informed the German-based victims that their bank accounts had been compromised. Claiming that their funds were at risk, the accused allegedly manipulated the victims into transferring Euro 646,032 to cryptocurrency wallets controlled by them,” he added.
According to the officials, the agency has initiated ‘Operation Chakra-IV’ to combat and dismantle organised cyber-enabled financial crime networks through a globally coordinated law enforcement response leveraging INTERPOL channels.