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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a major accused linked to an international cybercrime syndicate that defrauded Japanese citizens through sophisticated “tech support scams.” The action comes under the ongoing nationwide crackdown, Operation Chakra-V, aimed at dismantling global cybercriminal networks.

The arrested individual, identified as Dwibendu Moharana, was detained at Bhubaneswar airport upon his return from the UAE on October 30, 2025. According to CBI officials, Moharana had fled India in May shortly after his illegal call centre in Noida — operating under the name VoIP Connect Private Limited — was raided by the agency.

Investigations revealed that Moharana and his associates posed as technical support executives from reputed multinational companies, deceiving Japanese victims into making payments for fake services. The CBI stated that the racket used advanced social engineering tactics to manipulate targets and extract money under false pretences.

Earlier this year, on May 28, coordinated raids across Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh led to the arrest of six operatives and the shutdown of two fake call centres. Those previously arrested include Ashu Singh (Delhi), Kapil Ghakhar (Panipat), Rohit Maurya (Ayodhya), Shubham Jaiswal, Vivek Raj, and Adarsh Kumar (Varanasi).

After being brought to Delhi on a transit warrant, Moharana was produced before a special court and remanded to CBI custody for three days. The agency has now arrested seven accused in total and filed chargesheets against all of them.

The CBI confirmed that the operation was conducted in close coordination with the National Police Agency of Japan and Microsoft Corporation, significantly disrupting one of the most active cybercrime networks targeting Japanese nationals.

• “The coordinated global effort shows India’s strong commitment to combating cross-border cyber frauds,” a CBI official stated