CBI Chargesheets 4 Chinese in Rs 1,000 Cr Cybercrime 111 Shell Companies Exposed
Transnational cyber fraud network dismantled; illicit funds routed through elaborate shell company web and digital scams.
New Delhi, Dec 14: The CBI has filed a chargesheet against 17 individuals, including four Chinese nationals, and 58 companies for their alleged involvement in a transnational cyber fraud network that siphoned off over Rs 1,000 crore, officials said on Sunday.
The network, dismantled in October, operated through an elaborate digital and financial infrastructure, running fake loans, bogus investment schemes, Ponzi models, online gaming frauds, and part time job scams. Investigators discovered that 111 shell companies were used to layer and launder funds, with one account receiving over Rs 152 crore in a short period.
“These shell entities were created using dummy directors, forged documents, and false business objectives, allowing rapid diversion of illicit funds through bank and merchant accounts,” a CBI spokesperson said.
The syndicate’s operations date back to 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and were allegedly directed by Chinese nationals Zou Yi, Huan Liu, Weijian Liu, and Guanhua Wang. Their Indian associates procured identity documents to incorporate shell companies and mule accounts, masking the origin of the money.
Evidence revealed that a UPI ID linked to two Indian accused remained active abroad as recently as August 2025, indicating real-time foreign control over the network. The investigation found a highly layered, technology-driven modus operandi, involving Google ads, bulk SMS campaigns, SIM-box messaging, cloud infrastructure, fintech platforms, and multiple mule accounts to evade detection.
The chargesheet follows a detailed CBI probe based on inputs from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which highlighted large-scale cheating through online investment and employment schemes. Searches conducted across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Haryana yielded digital devices, documents, and financial records that helped uncover the organised conspiracy.
The investigation emphasised that what initially appeared as isolated complaints revealed a coordinated fraud network with consistent digital footprints and fund-flow patterns linking all actors and shell entities.
