Hyderabad, Oct 1 (PTI) In a major crackdown on cybercriminals, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) on Tuesday said it conducted a special operation in Rajasthan and arrested 27 cyber fraudsters.
The operation resulted in arrest of 27 people involved in over 189 cybercrime cases in Telangana and as many as 2,223 cases across India, TGCSB Director Shikha Goel said.
During the operation, the teams arrested 27 cyber fraudsters who were allegedly involved in opening and operating 29 ‘mule’ bank accounts which had suspicious transactions to the tune of Rs 11,01,18,882 as per initial estimates, she said in a release.
Four teams from TGCSB camped in Rajasthan and carried out this operation during the last fortnight, as part of our ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy against cybercrimes, she said.
The TGCSB recently formed a Special Operations Wing as part of a strategic approach to conduct centralised and large-scale interstate operations to curb cybercrimes and this was the first operation carried out by this special operations wing, the release said.
The teams were deployed at various locations in Rajasthan (Jaipur, Jodhpur and Nagaur) and conducted operations in surrounding areas.
These accused who are involved in 2223 cybercrimes across India, including 189 cases in Telangana, in which the total amount lost is Rs 9 crores, have “willingly” allowed their accounts to be used for conducting cybercrimes, the Telangana police said.
Their crimes included Business and Investment, Trading, and Digital arrest cases. A total of 31 mobile phones, 37 SIM cards, 13 ATM cards, seven cheque books, and certain other documents were seized from their possession, they said.
The arrested accused were brought on transit warrants from Rajasthan and are now lodged in various jails in Telangana.
Further, 33 more cyber criminals were identified during the operation, and “we are working to arrest them,” Shikha Goel said.
The complicity of bank officials in opening and operating of these mule accounts is also being examined, and action will be taken against them as per law, she said.
“The main purpose of this operation was to break the supply chain of illicit bank accounts for facilitating cybercrimes. The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau shall continue to conduct more such interstate operations targeting cyber criminals across India to ensure a Cyber-safe Telangana,” the TGCSB Director said. PTI VVK VVK ROH
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