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Hyderabad, Nov 9 (IANS) In the first simultaneous multi-state special operation, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) arrested 81 cyber fraudsters, including seven women.
The coordinated special operation was carried out for 25 days in October across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
TGSCB Director Shikha Goyal on Sunday said this multi-state cyber crime crackdown reflects the bureau’s zero-tolerance policy towards cyber crime and its firm commitment to dismantle organized online fraud networks operating across India.
He said in a statement that 28 accused were arrested from Kerala, 23 from Maharashtra, 13 from Karnataka, 10 from Andhra Pradesh and seven from Tamil Nadu.
Those arrested include 17 agents, of whom 11 were involved in check and cash withdrawal of Rs 34,70,900, and 53 mule account holders who received commission up to 5 per cent on the fraudulent amounts transacted through their accounts.
84 mobile phones, 101 SIM cards and 89 bank passbooks and check books used in various fraudulent transactions were also seized in the operation.
The investigation revealed that the arrested individuals came from diverse professional backgrounds, underscoring the wide reach of cyber-enabled crime. Among them were three bank employees – a sales executive of IDFC Bank, an employee of Federal Bank, and a branch manager of Bandhan Bank – who were directly involved in facilitating illicit financial activities, linked to 106 cases.
Other prominent arrests include a diploma holder in computer operations (96 cases), an accountant from Kilpauk Audit Office, Chennai (31 cases), a BBA graduate (45 cases), and an MNC employee who misused his corporate account for fraud. The accused belong to various professions like private employees, health care professionals, IT staff, brokers, students and daily wage workers, which shows the alarming spread of digital financial abuse across all sectors.
Preliminary investigation indicates that some of the accused have links with persons operating from outside India, and Look-Out Circulars (LOCs) are being opened against identified foreign-linked suspects.
The arrests made under this operation relate to 41 cases registered under seven TGCSB Cyber Crime Police Stations (CCPS). So far, investigators have detected 754 crime links across India, of which 128 are linked to Telangana, involving an estimated fraud of around Rs 95 crore.
Of the 81 persons arrested, 12 persons were found to have more than 30 crime links across India, while 54 others were involved in more than five different cyber crime cases.
The investigating authorities have identified and frozen several bank accounts linked to the accused, and refund processes for the victims have already been initiated in coordination with the concerned financial institutions.
A key aspect of this operation is the TGCSB’s continued focus on breaking the supply chains that enable cyber criminals to operate with impunity.
Facilitators providing bank accounts, mobile numbers, SIM cards and financial channels serve as the essential infrastructure for fraudulent call-centre networks, often operating from abroad.
Shikha Goyal said that by identifying and arresting these enablers, TGCSB aims to dismantle the ecosystem that supports large-scale financial fraud and ensure that such networks are deprived of the tools they depend on.
–IANS
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