Guwahati, Aug 19: A 25-year-old man from Barpeta district has been arrested in connection with a sprawling cyber fraud network allegedly linked to Rs 1,173 crore in suspected fraud, with the operation also leading to the rescue of 10 victims who were under “digital arrest” across different states. The accused, identified as Rafikul Alam, was arrested by a team of the Cyber Centre of Excellence (CCoE), Gandhinagar, following a technical investigation and a three-day undercover surveillance operation in Barpeta. The team arrested Alam along with electronic and technical gadgets allegedly used in the cyber fraud operation. Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Harsh Sanghavi, in a post on ‘X ’, said that the investigation has so far linked 1,753 bank accounts with 1,042 cybercrime cases involving suspected fraud of around Rs 1,173 crore across the country. What made the operation significant was that the investigators, after reaching the alleged mastermind, were able to identify 10 “live” digital arrest cases in which victims were still being coerced by fraudsters and were preparing to transfer more money. CCoE teams subsequently visited the homes of the victims in different parts of the country and intervened in the ongoing frauds. Among those rescued were senior citizens from Ahmedabad, Surat and Jamnagar. In some cases, the victims had already broken their fixed deposits and were allegedly preparing to sell shops and properties to arrange money demanded by the fraudsters. The intervention prevented the victims from transferring further money and helped investigators disrupt the wider network while the fraud was still in progress. In three cases in Gujarat, CCoE teams reportedly reached the victims’ residences to provide immediate assistance and counselling, Deputy Chief Minister Sanghavi said. Preliminary investigation has also indicated that Alam was allegedly associated with a China-linked cybercrime network, with crypto-currency transactions being used in connection with the racket. The Gujarat team reportedly carried out technical analysis, followed digital trails and conducted the undercover operation in Barpeta before arresting Alam. The case has exposed the scale of the increasingly sophisticated “digital arrest” scam, in which cybercriminals impersonate police officers, CBI or other government officials, accuse victims of involvement in crimes and keep them under continuous video or phone surveillance while extorting money. “One arrest in Assam, 10 digital arrests stopped in real time; the operation not only led investigators to an alleged key operative but also prevented victims from losing more money to the fraudsters,” said Gujarat Police. Further investigation into the case is under way, and more people are likely to be arrested in connection with the case.