On FBI tip-off, CBI cracks down on hackers in Ghaziabad, Mumbai and Pune

In a first of its kind international operation, the CBI on Friday cracked down on hacking hubs at multiple locations in Mumbai, Pune and Ghaziabad on inputs received from the U.S. probe agency, the FBI, arresting one person under the violation of Information Technology Act.   Agency sources said it is a major operation in which agencies of China, Romania and the U.S. are jointly acting along with the CBI against cyber criminals in these countries who were allegedly hacking into websites based in the U.S. and duping people financially. The sources said agency got some crucial inputs from the FBI on the basis of which the CBI registered a case under the provisions of the IT Act.   After registering the case, the CBI carried out searches in Ghaziabad, Mumbai and Pune and one person has been arrested from Pune for alleged violation of the IT Act, they said. The sources refused to share further information on the victims of the hackers or the amount which could have been compromised by them, saying searches were still going on.   This is the first major instance of law agencies in India and the US working together to nab suspected cyber criminals and could set a precedent for future association too. India has been cracking down on what it considers infringing activity on the Internet. Recently, **major US carrier Verizon said** that India was among the top few countries to demand that the provider restrict access to certain websites to Indian users.   With inputs from PTI