The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) has arrested 101 people in a two-week coordinated crackdown on cybercrime networks operating across southern India and traced fraudulent transactions amounting to approximately ₹ 17 crore.
The account holders and intermediaries were allegedly paid commissions of up to five per cent of the fraudulent amount routed through their accounts. The arrested included several graduates and post-graduates and even engineering students, businessmen, ex-servicemen, self-employed people, homemakers and marketing professionals. Kerala accounted for the highest number of arrests at 35, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 22, Karnataka with 17, Tamil Nadu with 14, Telangana with 12 and Puducherry with one. Of the 101 arrested, 19 were identified as agents, while 81 were identified as mule account holders. The investigation has so far linked the arrests to 51 cases registered across the seven TGCSB Cyber Crime Police Stations. Investigators have traced 1,172 cybercrime links across India, including 206 links connected to Telangana. Significantly, 50 of the 101 arrested persons have more than five cybercrime links each across the country.
The TGCSB said the investigation is continuing to identify additional crime links, interstate connections and international networks associated with the operation.
