Operation Cy-Hunt: Kerala Police arrest 264 in cyber fraud crackdown
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Kochi: In a major state-wide crackdown on organised cyber-financial crimes, Kerala Police on Thursday arrested 264 individuals and registered 383 cases under Operation Cy-Hunt, a special drive aimed at nabbing cyber fraudsters and recovering defrauded funds.
The coordinated operation, launched at 6 a.m. across all police station limits, was carried out under the directions of the State Police Chief, with close supervision by the Cyber Operations Wing, Range DIGs, and District Police Chiefs.
According to police, the arrested include members of organised cyber-financial fraud networks operating across the country, individuals who withdrew defrauded money through cheques or ATMs, and those who rented out their bank accounts for commission.
Raids were conducted at 714 locations across Kerala, leading to the seizure of 88 electronic devices. Police said account holders whose bank accounts were misused without their knowledge, as well as those who received funds through hawala or other suspicious transactions, were issued notices and released under supervision pending further investigation.
As many as 125 people were issued notices, a senior officer said.
Data collected from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal revealed that 2,683 individuals were suspected of cheque withdrawals, 361 of ATM withdrawals, and 665 of using mule accounts, bank accounts belonging to others.
“Following detailed verification and evidence collection, the suspects were identified,” police said, adding that all offences committed by these individuals as part of organised cyber-fraud networks are now being examined.
Police further stated that if any of the suspects are found involved in similar cases registered in other states, steps will be taken immediately to complete arrest procedures within the stipulated time.
With PTI inputs