What is Interpol’s Operation HAECHI-VI?

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested eight cybercriminals from different gangs during its focused crackdown between May and August as part of Interpol’s Operation HAECHI-VI.

What is Operation HAECHI?

• Interpol coordinates operations codenamed ‘HAECHI’ under a project to tackle cyber-enabled financial crime. 

• HAECHI operations are supported financially by South Korea.

• The results of the first two waves of the operation (2020-2021) showed that transnational organised crime groups often exploit the borderless nature of the internet to extract millions from their victims before funnelling the illicit cash to bank accounts across the globe.

• In addition, online scams evolve at the speed of light and are committed using increasingly sophisticated modi operandi.

• Operation HAECHI VI (April-August) conducted across 40 countries and territories has resulted in recovery of $342 million in government-backed currencies, along with $97 million in physical and virtual assets.

It targeted seven types of cyber-enabled financial crimes: 

i) Voice phishing

ii) Romance scams

iii) Online sextortion

iv) Investment fraud

v) Money laundering associated with illegal online gambling.

vi) Business email compromise

vii) E-commerce fraud.

• Investigators worked together to detect and disrupt online fraud as well as money laundering activities, blocking over 68,000 associated bank accounts and freezing close to 400 cryptocurrency wallets.  

• In addition, around $16 million in suspected illicit profits was recovered from cryptocurrency wallets.

CBI’s role in the operation

• The CBI, which is the national crime bureau for India, is responsible for coordination with the global police cooperation body Interpol.

• The CBI 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.

• During Operation HAECHI-VI, the International Operations Division of the CBI closely coordinated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (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.

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

What is Interpol?

• The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) is an inter-governmental organisation that has 196 member countries.

• It began as the International Criminal Police Commission in 1923, and became the International Criminal Police Organisation in 1956.

• India became a member country on October 15, 1949.

• Interpol enables countries to share and access data on crimes and criminals and offer a range of technical and operational support.

• In each country, an Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) provides the central point of contact for the General Secretariat and other NCBs. An NCB is run by national police officials and usually sits in the government ministry responsible for policing.

• In India, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) coordinates investigations on behalf of Interpol member countries.

• The General Secretariat coordinates its day-to-day activities to fight a range of crimes. Run by the secretary general, it is staffed by both police and civilians and comprises a headquarters in Lyon and several satellite offices in different regions.

• The General Secretariat provides a range of expertise and services to member countries. Interpol manages 19 police databases with information on crimes and criminals (from names and fingerprints to stolen passports), accessible in real time to countries.

• It supports national efforts in combating crimes across three global areas — terrorism, cybercrime and organised crime.

• The General Assembly is its governing body. It brings all countries together once a year to take decisions.