Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested 773 alleged cyber criminals during Operation Cy-Vajra, a week-long statewide crackdown on cyber fraud networks conducted between July 7 and 13. The operation also led to 673 suspects being served notices, while investigators linked the accused to 196 previously registered cases and filed 865 fresh FIRs.
Launched on the directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the operation was coordinated by the Cyber Crime Headquarters under the supervision of Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna after intelligence inputs were shared with police commissionerates and districts across the state.
Police said analysis of 7,989 complaints on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) revealed suspected cyber fraud involving nearly ₹1,158.70 crore. During the drive, authorities acted against 3,866 suspected mule bank accounts, 17 illegal call centres, five SIM boxes, and 11 illegal SIM vendors. They also registered 23 cases involving cyber offences against women and children.
The raids resulted in the seizure of ₹53.35 lakh in cash, 911 mobile phones, 75 laptops and desktops, 1,270 SIM cards, 648 debit and credit cards, and 110 electronic devices, besides online gaming clients valued at around ₹37 lakh.
In Kanpur, police busted an inter-state cyber fraud syndicate and arrested 13 accused allegedly involved in cheating victims of over ₹2 crore. Investigators said the gang impersonated Crime Branch officials, used fake WhatsApp identities, and threatened victims with arrest to extort money, primarily targeting beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Police recovered 29 mobile phones, three luxury vehicles, and digital evidence. Authorities said proceedings under the Gangsters Act and property attachment have been initiated, while efforts are underway to arrest around 20 absconding members.
In Azamgarh, Cyber Crime Police arrested three persons accused of facilitating an ₹84-crore cyber fraud by providing bank accounts of a shell company to cyber criminals. Investigators found the account was linked to 73 complaints from 20 states, involving online trading and “digital arrest” scams. The probe is continuing to identify other members of the network and trace the final beneficiaries of the fraudulent transactions.
