CBI nabs 'kingpin' of 'Royal Tiger Gang' fleecing Canadian, US citizens online

New Delhi: In a crackdown against a cybercrime syndicate, the CBI has arrested the alleged kingpin of the "Royal Tiger Gang", a transnational racket accused of fleecing victims in the United States and Canada through cyber posing as government officers, officials said Friday.

The agency arrested Prince Jasvantlal Anand from Mumbai on Thursday after a coordinated search operation that began the previous day across the bustling metropolis and Ahmedabad, officials said.

Anand, alleged to be the gang's prima donna, had been living an opulent lifestyle that ultimately betrayed his trail.

The searches at his hideout blew the lid off a sophisticated organised system used for committing cyber frauds with a telecom infrastructure, pre-drafted scam scripts, and forged identification paraphernalia -- including forged ID badges of Canadian law enforcement officers.

The searches at Anand's premises laid bare the indulgences of a high-flying conman with luxury cars, designer accessories, frequent international travel records, and significant unaccounted wealth.

"Further, Virtual Digital Assets worth approximately USD 45,000 were seized from the possession of the accused (Anand)," a CBI spokesperson stated.

The operation was part of ‘Operation Chakra V’, the CBI's ongoing action against cybercriminal networks.

The CBI has alleged that the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had earlier identified the "Royal Tiger Gang", operated by the accused (Anand) as a significant Consumer Communication Information Services Threat (C-CIST).

"The gang is accused of generating and transmitting unlawful robocalls impersonating government agencies, banks, and utility service providers in a systematic manner, aimed at deceiving and defrauding US consumers," the spokesperson said.

Investigators allege that Anand and his associates preyed on fear and confusion by impersonating officials from government institutions and financial bodies, then extorting money from their victims under the pretext of fabricated criminal allegations.

The ill-gotten proceeds were largely funnelled through cryptocurrencies to mask the financial trail.

Anand was presented before a Special Court which sent him to four days for CBI custody for further interrogation.