The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau has arrested 101 people, including 18 women, and traced fraudulent transactions worth approximately Rs 17 crore in a coordinated cybercrime operation across six states and Union Territories in South India, according to police.
The two-week operation began on September 23 and covered Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Puducherry. Investigators targeted individuals and networks allegedly involved in cyber-enabled financial crimes, including the movement of fraudulent funds through mule bank accounts.
The arrests are linked to 51 cases registered across seven Telangana Cyber Security Bureau Cyber Crime Police Stations. The Bureau said the accused included 19 alleged agents or intermediaries and 81 mule account holders. Police also seized mobile phones, SIM cards, bank passbooks and cheque books allegedly used in fraudulent transactions.
The largest number of arrests was recorded in Kerala, with 35 people taken into custody. Andhra Pradesh accounted for 22 arrests, followed by Karnataka with 17, Tamil Nadu with 14, Telangana with 12 and Puducherry with one.
According to the Bureau, investigators have traced 1,172 cybercrime links across India, including 206 connected to Telangana. Fifty of the 101 accused were found to have more than five crime links across the country, the Bureau said, indicating the cross-border nature of the networks being investigated.
The operation involved coordinated arrests across state boundaries, reflecting the operational challenge posed by cybercrime networks that use bank accounts, mobile connections and financial intermediaries across multiple jurisdictions. The cases also show how digital fraud investigations can extend beyond the location where a victim or transaction is first reported.
The Bureau said the accused came from varied age groups, professions and educational backgrounds. Eighty-two per cent of those arrested were between 20 and 50 years old, while 17 per cent were above 50. Business and self-employment represented the largest occupational group at 23 per cent, followed by private employment at 13 per cent. Homemakers accounted for 10 per cent, drivers and operators for seven per cent, and sales and marketing professionals for five per cent.
The Bureau’s profile of the accused also included people with different levels of education. Twenty-six per cent had Intermediate-level education, 24 per cent were graduates or degree holders, and 16 per cent had secondary education. Eleven per cent were recorded as uneducated, while seven per cent had Diploma or ITI qualifications. Police also identified some accused with professional qualifications and employment backgrounds who were allegedly involved in facilitating the movement of cybercrime proceeds.
The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau has not disclosed in the supplied report the total number of victims, the specific fraud methods used in each of the 51 cases, or the amount recovered. The investigation remains focused on tracing the alleged financial links and the wider networks connected to the cases.
