Delhi Police Arrest 944 in Operation CyHawk Cybercrime Crackdown

Delhi Police announced the arrest of 944 individuals and the registration of 596 fresh FIRs following a two-day coordinated crackdown targeting cybercrime networks across the country. According to police statements, the operation—designated as the sixth edition of Operation CyHawk and conducted between October 28 and 29—involved all 15 district police units alongside the Crime Branch (Cyber) and the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit.

Scale and Reach of the Operation

Investigators reported that the arrested individuals and associated networks are allegedly linked to 4,002 complaints involving a reported fraud amount of Rs 479.1 crore.

• Suspects Interrogated: As many as 4,979 suspects were detained or rounded up for verification.
• Notices and Action: Police bound down 788 people and served notices to another 2,081.
• Cases Handled: Officials took action in 596 fresh FIRs, four kalandras, and 432 pending old cases.
• Geographic Spread: While 727 complaints originated in Delhi, 3,275 complaints were filed in other states and Union Territories.

Inter-State Raids and Infrastructure Disruption

To track down suspects and dismantle supporting infrastructure, 283 police teams travelled across 17 states and five Union Territories. Authorities conducted raids, technical surveillance, and local inquiries that uncovered multiple inter-state syndicates.

• Officials reported busting a Jamtara-linked credit card syndicate in Dhanbad, a matrimonial fraud gang in Durg-Bhilai, and mule-account suppliers in Kanpur and Greater Noida.
• Account facilitators were also traced across Mumbai, Lucknow, Rajasthan, and Punjab.
• Operations targeted illegal call centres involved in impersonation and extortion scams.

Recoveries and Seizures

Police reported the seizure of physical and digital assets used in the fraud operations:

• 1,037 mobile phones and 1,301 SIM cards
• 106 laptops and computers
• 397 ATM cards
• Over 244 bank kits and passbooks
• 325 Aadhaar cards
• 11 cars and 10 two-wheelers
• Rs 37.6 lakh in cash, alongside gold and cryptocurrency in the form of USDT.

Methodology and Verification

Authorities stated that targets were identified through the analysis of complaints on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, data from the Samanvaya and Pratibimb portals, as well as bank account patterns and mobile number data.

Investigations remain ongoing to trace money trails, identify handlers operating from abroad, and recover funds for victims. Members of the public seeking to verify official announcements or report cyber incidents can access updates directly through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or official law enforcement advisories.