A Kolkata-based couple lost nearly Rs 3 crore in a cyber fraud case after fraudsters posing as officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) allegedly placed them under a so-called “digital arrest” and threatened them with legal consequences.
Nearly a year after the incident, the main accused, Abir Sheikh, was arrested by the cybercrime wing of Lalbazar police from inside Dumdum Central Correctional Home, where he was already lodged in connection with another case.
On Thursday, Abir was produced before a court after being shown arrested in the cyber fraud case. The court remanded him to police custody until March 19.
Fraudsters posed as CBI officers, threatened couple with drug case
According to police sources, the incident began about a year ago when the couple received a phone call regarding a parcel allegedly addressed to them.
The callers claimed that the parcel, intercepted by the postal department, contained illegal drugs and accused the couple of being involved in drug trafficking.
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The fraudsters reportedly introduced themselves as CBI officials and began threatening the victims with severe legal consequences. They warned the couple that they could face arrest and criminal charges unless they cooperated with the investigation.
‘Digital arrest’ pressure led to Rs 3 crore payment
Under intense psychological pressure and fear of legal action, the couple was told they would have to pay a heavy fine to resolve the matter and avoid complications. Believing the threats to be genuine, the victims allegedly transferred around Rs 3 crore to accounts controlled by the fraudsters.
Earlier arrests in Odisha exposed money trail
During the investigation, officers of Lalbazar’s cybercrime police station had earlier arrested two individuals from Cuttack in Odisha. Investigators discovered that around Rs 3 crore had been transferred into one suspect’s bank account, while another accused received about Rs 26 lakh. During interrogation, the name of Abir Sheikh emerged as a key figure in the fraud network.
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SIM box setup used for large-scale cyber fraud
Police sources said Abir Sheikh had allegedly been living in a rented house in Kolkata’s Amherst Street area and was suspected of operating an illegal SIM box-based fake telephone exchange.
Using this system, calls could be routed through multiple SIM cards, allowing fraudsters to mask their real locations while targeting victims across different regions. During searches, investigators recovered multiple SIM boxes and several SIM cards believed to have been used in the operation.
Police are now examining the recovered equipment and bank transactions to identify other members of the cyber fraud ring.
