New Delhi, Oct 7 (PTI) The CBI has arrested eight cybercriminals from different gangs during its focused crackdown between May and August as part of Interpol's Operation HAECHI-VI, officials here said on Tuesday.

The global operation, which saw the participation of 40 countries, targeted seven sophisticated categories of cybercrime, including voice phishing, online sextortion, romance scams, investment fraud and money laundering tied to illegal gambling networks.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is the national crime bureau for India and is responsible for coordination with the global police cooperation body Interpol, conducted a series of high-impact raids across various states from West Bengal to Punjab, exposing digital crime dens that preyed on minors and foreign nationals, an official spokesperson said in a statement.

"During Operation HAECHI-VI, the International Operations Division of the CBI closely coordinated with the FBI, the US Department of Justice and the German authorities, arrested eight offenders and identified 45 suspects who were indulging in the transnational cyber-enabled financial crimes and subjecting... girls to sexual offences online," the CBI spokesperson said.

She said USD 66,340 cash was recovered from the offenders and 30 bank accounts involved in the crime were subsequently blocked.

The agency has participated in all six editions of Operation HAECHI so far.

The CBI, based on operational intelligence shared by the FBI, arrested two accused during the operation for allegedly "luring and coercing underage girls in the United States" through social media and pressuring them into sharing sexually explicit material through intimidation tactics, according to the spokesperson.

The central agency dismantled two major illegal call centres -- one based in New Delhi and Amritsar, and another in Siliguri, Darjeeling -- that were swindling money through elaborate scams from US and German citizens by posing as technical support agents of software behemoths.

"CBI's role in Operation HAECHI-VI underscores growing international cooperation against tech-facilitated crime, particularly offences targeting vulnerable populations, including children. The bureau has pledged continued collaboration with Interpol and allied agencies to expose and eliminate such syndicates," the spokesperson said.

She said the investigation remains active as forensic teams analyse digital evidence and international authorities pursue leads beyond Indian borders.

Globally, Interpol coordinated the operation across 40 countries and territories. It resulted in the recovery of USD 342 million in government-backed currencies, along with USD 97 million in physical and virtual assets.

Approximately 68,000 associated bank accounts were blocked, and nearly 400 cryptocurrency wallets were frozen during the operation.

Additionally, approximately USD 16 million in suspected illicit profits was recovered from cryptocurrency wallets, according to Interpol. PTI ABS DIV DIV

International cooperation against cybercrime yields coordinated arrests and asset freezes across multiple jurisdictions, deterring transnational financial crimes Operation HAECHI VI combined international intelligence sharing and coordinated raids to target transnational cyber-enabled financial crimes and online sexual exploitation; authorities arrested suspects, dismantled illegal call centres, blocked implicated bank accounts and froze cryptocurrency wallets, recovered cash and assets, and continue forensic analysis and cross-border investigations to pursue additional leads.