Bhubaneshwar, Nov 1 (UNI) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a key accused in a transnational cybercrime syndicate targeting Japanese citizens through fraudulent tech support scams, the premiere probe agency said today.

The scamster Dwibendu Moharana, was intercepted at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar on his return to India.

Following coordinated searches conducted on 28 May 2025 at 19 locations across Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, which led to the arrest of six operatives, Moharana absconded from Bhubaneswar and fled to United Arab Emirates on 29 May 2025 immediately after his call centre at Voip Connect Private Limited, Noida, was uncovered, the agency said.

Investigations revealed that Moharana operated an illegal call centre involved in sophisticated social engineering and deception, impersonating support personnel from multinational companies to coerce Japanese victims into transferring funds under false pretenses.

Upon his arrest, Moharana was brought to Delhi on a transit warrant and produced before the designated CBI Court. Later he was remanded to custody for three days for custodial interrogation.

So far, CBI has arrested seven individuals in this case and filed charge sheets against all. The scamsters arrested earlier are currently under judicial custody. The operation, carried out with close cooperation from the National Police Agency of Japan and Microsoft Corporation, has significantly disrupted the syndicate's operations.