101 held in TGCSB’s six-State sweep, ₹17 crore cyber fraud trail uncovered
The operation exposed a sprawling mule-account network, with 1,172 cybercrime links traced nationwide, including 206 in Telangana, while commissions of up to 5% were allegedly paid for routing fraudulent funds
A two-week operation across southern India has resulted in the arrest of 101 individuals, spanning various backgrounds, in connection with a cyber fraud scheme involving ₹17 crore in transactions. The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB), operating in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Puducherry, used six specialized teams to conduct the coordinated action initiated on September 23.
The operation targeted accounts and roles linked to the cybercrime networks, revealing a complex ecosystem supporting fraudulent activities.
Among the 101 arrested, 19 were designated as agents, while 81 were identified as mule account holders. The TGCSB reported that intermediaries and account holders were paid commissions of up to 5% of the money they facilitated. Financial transactions were routed through bank accounts procured via agents and intermediaries, used for ATM withdrawals, bulk transfers, and overseas-linked transactions.
The arrested individuals were diverse, with 82% aged between 20 and 50, and 17% over 50. The largest occupational group was businessmen and self-employed persons at 23%, followed by private employees at 13%, homemakers at 10%, drivers and operators at 7%, and sales and marketing professionals at 5%. Educational backgrounds varied widely, with 26% having studied up to Intermediate, 24% holding graduate degrees, 16% completing secondary education, and 11% lacking formal education.
Notable among the accused were individuals linked to numerous cybercrime cases, including an ex-serviceman involved in six cases, a Flipkart employee linked to 50 cases, and a businessman with an M.Com degree linked to 34 complaints.
The investigation uncovered trust accounts operated by NGOs allegedly used to receive and transfer proceeds from cybercrimes, connected to 60 cases across India. Agents and mule account holders were found across various professions, suggesting a broad-based involvement in the criminal network. With 51 cases registered across the seven TGCSB Cyber Crime Police Stations, authorities have traced 1,172 crime links in India, including 206 involving Telangana.
Fifty of those arrested had more than five crime links each. Investigations are ongoing to uncover additional crime links, interstate connections, and potential international networks related to the operation.
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