104 arrested in pan-India cyber fraud crackdown

Hyderabad City Police have dismantled a sprawling cyber fraud syndicate operating across 16 states, arresting 104 accused in a massive operation codenamed “Operation Octopus.” The coordinated crackdown targeted networks involved in investment scams, trading frauds, and so-called “digital arrest” scams that duped victims of nearly Rs. 127 crore across 1,055 cases nationwide.

Led by DCP (Cybercrimes) V. Aravind Babu, IPS, the Cyber Crime Police Station (CCPS) identified 151 bank accounts used to siphon and launder funds. Thirty-two special teams conducted simultaneous raids over 10 days in Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand and Odisha.

Of the 104 arrested, 86 were mule account holders who allowed their bank accounts to be used for illegal transactions, 17 were account suppliers or aggregators facilitating fund transfers, and one was a relationship manager of Bandhan Bank allegedly involved in opening and operating fraudulent accounts.

Police seized 204 mobile phones, 141 SIM cards, 152 bank passbooks, 234 debit and credit cards, 26 laptops, 56 corporate stamps and Rs. 36 lakh in cash during the operation. The crackdown was supervised by Joint CP (Special Branch) S.M. Vijay Kumar, IPS.

Commissioner of Police V.C. Sajjanar, IPS, reiterated a “zero tolerance” policy against cybercrime, warning that anyone aiding such networks, including bank officials and mule account holders, will face strict legal action as investigations continue to target higher-level masterminds.