In an unprecedented multi-state operation, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) apprehended 81 individuals involved in cyber fraud, including seven women.
The crackdown, conducted over 25 days in October across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, targeted organized online fraud networks operating nationwide.
According to Shikha Goel, TGCSB Director, the operation demonstrates the Bureau&rsquo;s zero-tolerance stance on cybercrime and its commitment to dismantling illicit digital networks.
The arrests included 28 from Kerala, 23 from Maharashtra, 13 from Karnataka, 10 from Andhra Pradesh, and seven from Tamil Nadu. Among those detained were 17 agents, 11 individuals linked to cheque and cash withdrawals totaling Rs 34.7 lakh, and 53 &ldquo;mule&rdquo; account holders who earned up to 5% commission on fraudulent transactions.
Seized during the operation were 84 mobile phones, 101 SIM cards, and 89 bank passbooks and cheque books.
The accused hailed from diverse professional backgrounds, highlighting the broad reach of cyber-enabled crime. Notable arrests included three bank employees a sales executive from IDFC Bank linked to 106 cases, a Federal Bank staffer, and a Bandhan Bank branch manager as well as a diploma holder in computer operations (96 cases), an accountant from Chennai&rsquo;s Kilpauk Audit Office (31 cases), a BBA graduate (45 cases), and an MNC employee misusing a corporate account. Other suspects included private sector staff, healthcare professionals, IT workers, students, brokers, and daily wage earners.
Initial probes revealed some accused had connections with individuals outside India, prompting Look-Out Circulars (LOCs) for foreign-linked suspects.
The arrests pertain to 41 cases registered across seven TGCSB Cyber Crime Police Stations, with investigators tracing 754 crime links nationwide, including 128 linked to Telangana, involving an estimated Rs 95 crore in fraudulent transactions.
Of the 81 arrested, 12 were linked to over 30 cybercrime cases each, and 54 were tied to more than five separate frauds. Multiple bank accounts connected to the accused have been frozen, and victim refunds are underway in coordination with banks.
A key focus of TGCSB remains dismantling the support network that enables cybercriminals, including those providing bank accounts, SIM cards, and financial channels often from abroad. By arresting these enablers, the Bureau aims to break the infrastructure that sustains large-scale online financial fraud, Goel added.

Multi-state crackdown seizes phones, SIMs, and bank records

Telangana Arrests 81 in Cybercrime Raid

Multi-state crackdown seizes phones, SIMs, and bank records

November 9, 2025 | 20:03 IST