Hyderabad: In a significant move against cybercrime, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) conducted a special operation in Rajasthan and arrested 27 cyber fraudsters. These criminals were involved in scamming people out of Rs 11 crore. This operation marked the first-ever inter-state mission by the bureau.
The TGCSB carried out raids at three different locations in Rajasthan. The arrested individuals were linked to over 189 cybercrime cases in Telangana and a massive 2,223 cases across India.
According to TGCSB director Shikha Goel, the operation spanned the last two weeks of September. Four special teams were sent to Rajasthan as part of the bureau’s “zero tolerance” policy towards cybercrimes. These teams operated in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Nagaur, and were supported 24/7 by a technical team from the bureau’s headquarters.
The operation led to the arrest of 27 cyber criminals who were using 29 “mule” bank accounts for illegal transactions. These accounts had suspicious transactions totaling over Rs 11 crore. The criminals allowed their accounts to be used for cybercrimes, mainly in business, investment, and trading frauds.
The arrested individuals were identified as Kalu Ram, Lokesh Sharma, Pradeep Gehlot, Rajesh Barman, Kalyan Barman, Manish Jakhar, Kailash Chand Dara, Sachin Bhadana, Tushar Jangid, Mohith Sharma, Lakkan Arora, Shubham Jatawat, Ashish Jangid, Deepak Jangid, Lucky Kamawat, Murali Dhar Gour, Rakesh Dudi, Vinod Chavariya, Rakesh Jat, Om Harisharnam, Sanjay Morya, Rajesh Pancharia, Ramvilas Sargra, Vishnu Prasad Sargara, Sravan Kumar Mali, Rashid, and Maqsood.
During the raids, the police seized 31 mobile phones, 37 SIM cards, 13 ATM cards, seven cheque books, two cancelled cheques, two hard drives, and additional documents from the suspects. The arrested individuals were brought to Telangana from Rajasthan and are now in various jails in the state.
Shikha Goel also revealed that 33 more cyber criminals were identified during the operation, and efforts are being made to arrest them soon. The involvement of bank officials in facilitating the opening of these mule accounts is also under investigation, and legal action will be taken against them if found guilty.