What Is Operation Chakra V? Inside CBI's Crackdown On Global Cyber Scam Targeting Japanese Citizens

The CBI has busted a global tech support scam targeting Japanese citizens under Operation Chakra V. Six people were arrested and two illegal call centres were taken down.

In a decisive move against cyber-enabled financial crime, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched a series of coordinated raids across multiple Indian states on May 28, 2025, as part of its ongoing anti-cybercrime drive, Operation Chakra V. The high-stakes crackdown spanned 19 locations across Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Six suspects were arrested during the raids and two illegal call centres executing the transnational scam were dismantled.

Modus Operandi Of The Scam

At the core of this operation was a high-tech con targeting unsuspecting Japanese citizens. According to officials, the scam revolved around bogus tech support services. Fraudsters posed as representatives from well-known multinational companies —most notably Microsoft — and tricked victims into believing their devices had been compromised. Once panic set in, the victims were coerced into transferring money into so-called "mule accounts" controlled by the syndicate.

The CBI initiated its investigation after receiving credible intelligence about a cybercrime network preying on foreign nationals. The syndicate operated under the guise of legitimate customer service centres.

How Operation Chakra V Was Executed

To take down the network, the CBI partnered with the National Police Agency of Japan and Microsoft Corporation. This international collaboration proved vital, enabling investigators to trace the syndicate's structure and zero in on its operators. The result: a sweeping crackdown that not only disrupted the criminal enterprise but also highlighted the growing importance of cross-border cooperation in cybercrime enforcement.

During the raids, investigators uncovered a trove of digital and physical evidence. Early findings suggest the operation employed sophisticated social engineering tactics and technical trickery, designed to manipulate victims into surrendering personal and financial information.

Those arrested in the operation have been identified as: Ashu Singh (Delhi), Kapil Ghakhar (Panipat, Haryana), Rohit Maurya (Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh), Shubham Jaiswal (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh), Vivek Raj (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh), and Adarsh Kumar (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh).