New Delhi, Dec 14 :
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a comprehensive chargesheet against 17 accused persons, including four Chinese nationals, and 58 companies in connection with a massive transnational cyber crime syndicate that allegedly siphoned off more than ₹1,000 crore through digital frauds and shell companies, officials said on Sunday.
The investigation revealed that the accused operated a well-organised cyber fraud network, carrying out multiple online scams such as fake loan apps, bogus investment schemes, Ponzi and multi-level marketing frauds, deceptive part-time job offers, and fraudulent online gaming platforms.
According to the CBI, the syndicate laundered illicit proceeds through 111 shell companies and hundreds of mule bank accounts, routing around ₹1,000 crore in suspicious transactions. One of the mule accounts alone received over ₹152 crore within a short period.
The shell companies were allegedly created using dummy directors, forged documents, fake addresses, and misleading business objectives, enabling the accused to open bank and merchant accounts linked to various payment gateways for rapid movement and concealment of funds.
The probe traced the origins of the network back to 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The racket was allegedly operated at the direction of four Chinese handlers Zou Yi, Huan Liu, Weijian Liu and Guanhua Wang, who controlled the operations from abroad. Indian associates procured identity documents of unsuspecting individuals to set up shell firms and mule accounts used for laundering money.
The CBI stated that digital and financial trails established foreign control and operational supervision of the network. Notably, a UPI ID linked to Indian accused was found operating from a foreign location as recently as August 2025, confirming continued overseas oversight of the fraud infrastructure.
Investigators found that the syndicate relied on a highly sophisticated, technology-driven setup, using Google advertisements, bulk SMS campaigns, SIM-box messaging systems, cloud servers, fintech platforms, and layered banking channels to evade detection and mask the identities of the actual controllers.
The case was registered following inputs from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, which flagged large-scale cheating of citizens through online investment and employment frauds. Three accused were arrested in October during the initial phase of the probe.
Subsequent searches were conducted at 27 locations across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Haryana, leading to the seizure of digital devices, documents, and financial records, which were later subjected to forensic analysis.
The CBI said that although the complaints initially appeared isolated, detailed examination revealed common digital footprints, payment gateways, applications, and fund-flow patterns, pointing to a single organised criminal conspiracy. (KNC)